


...Of Family

by LLN3dseestheLight



Series: The Paradox Of Complexity-The Scenic Route [3]
Category: Stargate Atlantis, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Boarders on cracky, F/M, Gen, Gender or Sex Swap, Genderbending, Half-Siblings, M/M, Mentions of past child abuse, ProNoun Misuse, Rodney wears a dress again, Siblings, Siblings are NOT John and Rodney
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-19
Updated: 2016-09-09
Packaged: 2018-06-03 04:50:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 24,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6597457
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LLN3dseestheLight/pseuds/LLN3dseestheLight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>John Sheppard and Rodney McKay learn that home is a place that when you go there, they take you in... and family connections can be stranger than they ever thought they could be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

John took the open beer bottle from Cameron Mitchell with a grateful smile. Mitchell went back to his seat with only the slight limp to his step. It was a good to see that he was healing so well, so quickly, after his plane went down in the Antarctica during the battle with Anubis's forces. John brought the beer bottle up to his lips, taking a long pull off of it. It was his first and only of the night. He didn't drink in access. Never had. Losing his mother when he was twelve to a drunk driver had taught John the dangers of overindulging. John was at newly minted _Brigadier General_ Jack O'Neill's apartment. The new Commander of the SCG. He was watching the hockey playoffs with him and some guys from work. John was more of a football fan himself but hey, it was O'Neill party. If nothing else John's friendship with McKay had taught him an imprecation of the game.

Curling, though, John still didn't get.

McKay had been dragged out along with Daniel Jackson, by Miko. For what O'Neill mockingly called a ' _Girl's Night.'_ McKay had been rather vocal about wanting to stay and watch the playoffs. Sam Carter and Janet Frasier had convinced McKay to go by promising her hard liquor and gourmet chocolate. Also Daniel refused would go without McKay. The game was just getting good when John's cell phone started to play the theme song to ' _Pinky and the Brain,'_ "What do you want, McKay?"

" _You have to get me out of here!"_ McKay's panicked voice came over the line.

"McKay, it's the middle of the game!"

_"No, look, Sheppard, I've been a good sport about this. Really, I have. I've drank good vodka and eaten Godiva truffles. Played 'marry, fuck or kill' and have listened to the others debate who the hottest guy at the SGC is..."_

"Is there is a point to this?"

_"9.5."_

"What?"

_"You ranked a 9.5. You would have been a solid 10 but you've got that weird patch of back hair..."_

"McKay! You said you wouldn't tell anyone about that!"

John glared at Lorne as the man sniggered into his beer.

_"Are you forgetting that the after missions showers are co-ed? You're being thought of as hot by the **teenage girls** ,"  _John could hear giggling in the background, " _that we work with...You have to come recuse me!"_

"Why?" John asked, trading his beer for a soda.

_"Because I of all people **can** and **will** make your life a living hell." _McKay growled lowly in a way John refused to find sexy. Refused, damn it!

_"By the way. O'Neill was vote the hottest by Daniel and Sam."_

John heard the two named yelled at McKay. Lorne and Mitchell turned to look at the General, who only smiled smugly back at them.

"Really, O'Neill?" John asked with a frown, looking at the General, "Don't see it myself."

_" I know, right?"_ McKay's reply caused the men to laugh, " _Seems a lot of the women here think the silver hair is hot. Daniel would really like to her hands -OW! What was that for?"_

_"You know what that was for!"_ Daniel Jackson screeched.

O'Neill's smirk turned into a full blown grin.

" _Please, Sheppard! Cadman has that look in her eye! She's mentioned the word 'makeover',"_ came McKay's hissed whisper, " _I think Miko might help her! I swear to god, I will not be responsible for my actions!"_

"Chill, McKay, " John said standing up with a sigh.

" _Sam and Janet are giving Daniel the same look... Get me out of here! And I'll do that thing I said I'd never do!"_

John couldn't stop the half hopeful or lustful feeling he got at sound of that. He only hoped it didn't show on his face, "Really? **You'd do that?"**

"... _Yes?"_ McKay whined softly, compelling.

"The southwest pier?"

A put upon sigh, " _Yes."_

"I'll be there in a few minutes." John said hanging up his phone and putting it in his pocket. He looked at O'Neill, "Let's go save them."

"But the games not over," O'Neill whined.

John raised an eyebrow, "What do you think Jackson is going to do to you, if McKay gets sprung but she's not, mmm?"

A look of understanding crossed the older man's face as he slowly thought that over. You just didn't piss off geniuses if you could help it. O'Neill put down soda with a nod, standing up, "Right. Lorne! Don't let the guys trash place while I'm gone."

"Right, sir!"

***

"...and that ladies is how you bring Sheppard to heel." Rodney said exchanging a smug look with Daniel before they clinked their beer bottle together.

"So, what did you promise Sheppard?" Sam Carter asked, eyes bright with interest.

"Oh, was it something sexual?" Laura Cadman asked with a grin, pushing her strawberry blonde hair out of her face, green eyes sparkling with laughter, "The Colonel seems like the kinky type."

"What? No!" McKay said surprised.

"Then what, McKay?" Janet Frasier asked, taking a slip of her coke and rum.

Rodney sighed, heavily, "A Ferris Wheel."

No one but Rodney knew why Miko laughed so hard she fell out of her chair.

~~

_**Yes, Rodney promised me a Ferris Wheel.** _ _**What? No, it's not a secret term for sex! Why does everyone think that, Rodney?** _

**Probably because you do want to have sex on one, Sheppard?** **No, Sheppard really does want a Ferris Wheel on the southwest pier, when we get to Atlantis. I think he's actually twelve.** **Oh, I can see the joined sessions are going to be are going to be a great idea.**

_**You're still horrible at this.** _

**You really are.**

***

Rodney had her arm over Sheppard's shoulder, leaning heavily against him as he tried to unlock the door of her apartment. She sighed, John tried to ignore the shudder that went through him when he felt McKay's breathe on his neck.

"You-you ar-is my bestest friend...ever, Sheppard," she whispered drunkenly in his ear.

"How the hell are you so drunk, McKay? I thought with you being practically an Ancient, that alcohol didn't affect you the same way, it does us normal humans?" John asked and hadn't that been a weird fact to discover?

"Like you're normal?" McKay grumbled, "I was in a room full of the smartest people of our generation and Laura Cadman. There was no way I was leaving sober, Sheppard."

"Huh-uh."

Rodney glared at him, "I'm not as drunk as you think! I have to almost give myself alcohol poisoning to even get slightly buzzed."

"So, how _did_ you get this drunk?" John asked as got the door open and dragged Rodney inside the apartment.

Rodney blinked, owlishly, "I don't _know?_ Ask Dr. Brown."

" _Katie Brown_ did this to you?" John exclaimed, incredulously. Because John hadn't thought the smart but kind of mousy botanist had it in her. Even if McKay had almost asked her to marry him in the old timeline.

"Deep water, Sheppard, deep water," Rodney said, looking around, "Where are you taking me?"

"To bed."

Rodney frowned, "I don't think we are ready for that stage in our relationship..."

"At least you didn't call me Kirk," John grumped, dropping McKay onto the couch.

"You wouldn't." Rodney said laying back on the couch with her eyes closed, "Not if didn't ask you too!"

"Please, McKay, just pass out. Your going to hate yourself in the morning."

"I- really-have always lo-"

To John's eternal gratitude McKay did just that. Looking down at the brunette woman who had once been a man but would always be his best and most trusted friend, John whispered, "Me too, Mer."

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OC's Resemble
> 
> Ryan Sheppard- Brett Dalton

John sighed as he walked into his quarters on base. The mission to MX-4327 had been disturbing, to say the least. The natives had thought _John_ had been their god returned to them. This was only reinforced because of the mural, that the natives of the village worshipped, looked just like John...when he had almost turned into a huge blue bug in the pervious timeline. It wasn't something he wanted to think to hard on.

"What are you doing here, McKay?" John blinked at the sight of the dark haired woman laying on his bed, typing on a laptop. She wore a faded green t-shirt that said: **With Genius** that had a black arrow pointing up and light blue boxers which showed off McKay's long legs. John had never noticed how touchable-he shook his head, "Is this revenge for the Ferris Wheel thing? Cause you don't have to do that, if you don't want too." John paused thinking, "I'd be happy with a skate board park."

McKay raised an eyebrow, "You really are a twelve year old, huh?" McKay sighed, "But no, that's not why I'm here."

"So, why are you?"

"Because I can't hear your snoring from my quarters two floors away," she said softly, "like I can when we stay at the apartment."

"Can't you just use your Atleran powers..."

""What? No! That would be an abuse of my abilities...besides I'm not that good at telepathy or empathy like Daniel is. I can kill your enemies with a thought but don't ask me what goes on in someone's head." She frowned at him, "What is your problem? It's not like we haven't shared a tent or even a bedroll on a mission before?"

While that was true, they were not alone when they were off world. They had a team with them. At the apartment, John had his own room.

McKay suddenly snapped her fingers, leaning over the side of the bed to root around in a small duffle bag on the floor, making her boxers ride up higher on the backs of her highs. John couldn't help the quiet groan he made at the sight. John hadn't been with, well, anyone in far longer in two timelines than he cared to remember.

McKay sat up and ripping open a power bar, taking a bite of it. When she noticed him staring,

"What?" Rodney asked clueless.

"Shower," John muttered, _a cold one,_ he thought as he gathered up some clean clothes before going into the small bathroom. After undressing and standing under the cold water for ten minutes trying not to think impure thoughts about the _wom-man-about_ _McKay,_ before he turned on the hot water. He just finished washing his hair-

"Sheppard, you have a Skype call!"

John heard McKay shout. He cursed under his breath as he remembered, his brother was suppose to call him. He hurried through rising off, yelling to McKay, "Answer it!"

By the time John got done and dressed in a pair of sweat pants, he carried his shirt as he walked out of the steaming bathroom to see Rodney, still on his bed, still on the laptop like she was when he had left McKay there. John sighed, pulling on his shirt-

_"...Hey, John, did I call at a bad time?"_

John looked over to see that McKay had answered the call. Because his youngest brother's image looked back at him from the computer monitor screen. John walked over to his desk and sat down in the chair in front of it. Only McKay would answer a call then promptly ignore it.

" _Because if I interrupted something..."_ his brother implied with a bright grin.

"Well, he's related to you." McKay snarked, "Only one thing on his mind."

John sighed, "McKay this is my baby brother, Lt. Ryan Sheppard, He's a Navy Seal. You know they have no manners. Ryan, this is Meredith Rodney McKay, PhD, PhD, PhD and some other degrees."

Ryan got a mock offended expression on his face as he glared at John. He then frowned as he looked at McKay, "Strange, from the way John spoke of you I thought you'd be a guy?"

"If only," McKay muttered, louder she said, "I don't like my first name. I like Rodney."

John looked over his shoulder, "I like Rodney too."

McKay rolled her eyes, "Sap," before going back to work on her laptop.

_"David is getting married at the end of the month. You should be here for that."_ Ryan said, rubbing a hand across the stubble on his cheek.

John knew David had been dating someone in a vague way and not married like he was in the other timeline, and that he had been dating them for a few years now. He hadn't know it was that serious, "Why the hurry?" It was the first he'd heard about David getting married.

" _Pretty sure she's pregnant."_ Ryan sighed, " _And you know how dad feels about things like that."_

Yes, Patrick Sheppard had taught his children to take responsibility for their actions. John frowned, "David loves this woman, right?" Because there was no way he was going to let their father force David into a marriage with some one his brother didn't love. John remembered his short marriage to Nancy, it hadn't happened in this timeline. One thing John was grateful for. John had walked that road before and he was not going to let one of his brothers do it. Not if he could help it.

_"Please come home, John." David would love for you to be there for his wedding. Would like to see you too."_ Ryan said with pleading green eyes.

"I'll see if I can get some leave but no promises." John sighed.

" _Just try, that's all I ask. Oh, bring your...friend?"_ Ryan asked, giving McKay a considering look. John looked over at McKay. She hadn't looked up from her own computer screen, just pointed a finger at John,

"I'm not shopping for a dress.

John looked back at his brother, "Again, no promises," after that conversation turned to what they could talk about in their careers, John can't say much and Ryan only talks about the different beaches he's seen. It was nice until Ryan said, " _Oh, and Zoey will be home too!"_

John winced, slowly he turned off his computer, as memories of a girl with a bright smile flooded his mind...his baby sister. _He had a sister?_ Remembering her caused John to remember his step-mother too.

"Do you want to go?" McKay asked softly closing the computer on her lap.

John swiveled his desk chair to face McKay, "I...I...don't know? It would be nice to see Dad and my brothers...and sister."

"Sister?" Rodney asked.

John nodded, "I didn't even remember her until Ryan mentioned Zoey's name. Then all of the memories I have of her came to me. McKay I don't think this is _our_ timeline. I didn't even have a _sister_ in the old one...she's the daughter of my father and his _second wife!_ My father never remarried in the old time line, McKay!" John stumbled out of the chair over to the bed and down next to McKay. they had talked about this before. About not if the timeline or reality was their own or not. In the end it didn't really matter to them. So many things had already changed from the previous one. Getting back to Atlantis was the end game for both of them.

"The new memories hit you kind of hard, don't they?" McKay said softly, reaching out and gently running her finger through John's wild hair. "Only my father is dead in this time line. My-my mother is still alive," McKay sounded resentful about that to John. "She left my father when I was ten from what I remember about this time line. I was the one that took care of Jeannie until she got emancipated at sixteen... Do you want to go?" She asked again.

John nodded his head into the pillow he was laying on.

"Then go. It might be the last time you'll see them for awhile." McKay reminded him.

"Come with me," John asked flashing a hopeful smile.

"Huh?"

John repeated what he said adding, "I don't think I can get through this without you there, please?"

"John," Rodney sighed, "Parents _hate_ me. My own more than most. You remember what happened with Jennifer's father?"

John growled in the back of his throat at the mention of the woman. Jennifer Keller was a sore subject with John. The woman had stolen Rodney's affection, convinced Rodney that she loved him only to throw Rodney way when someone better(richer and willing to stay on Earth)came along.

~~

_**No, No, I don't like Jennifer Keller.** _

**He really, really, doesn't.**

~~

"Is there anything here that needs your personal attention?" John asked, referring to McKay's work in the labs.

McKay shook her head, "Nothing that Miko and Radek can't handle."

Dr. Miko Kusanagi and Dr. Radek Zelenka were the driving force that kept McKay's minions on track in her lab, John knew with out the to brilliant scientists McKay would kill all her minions and clone new ones. John was sure McKay knew how to do that. It wasn't that Rodney was a bad boss, it was just that she didn't baby the scientists. She expected them to do their jobs to the best they were able. Shoddy work and laziness led to more than one death on Atlantis.

"Miko knows what we're working on and what to watch for," McKay's theory that the natural gene carriers remembered the alternate timeline was to some degree right. Carson Beckett had said a few things to Rodney and John that confirmed he remembered Atlantis too. Jack O'Neill on the other hand though didn't remember Atlantis. Which was odd, seeing that the man's ATA gene was just as strong as John's own. Then again O'Neill never spent much time on Atlantis. Not as much as John or Rodney or the other gene carriers. O'Neill spent less than five months in all his trips total on Atlantis while it was under Earth's purview. McKay also wasn't sure if those that had the gene therapy would remember Atlantis if they got the gene therapy again or not. It was Carson's main project at the moment.

"Concerning the Pegasus Project. Major Carter isn't all to interested what goes on in my lab unless I make the minions cry. Or Kavanagh goes bitching to her because I was mean to him again. If it isn't about ZPM's she could care less."

"How far along are you on that, anyway?' John asked knowing that they would need at least one, one full ZPM in order to wake Atlantis systems up without the glitches caused by the Naquadah generators. After that the city could start creating more Zero Point Modules. True it would burn one out for every five ZPM's that were created. Luckily it only took four to run the city at full power. John would like to have access to a few things that had the last three years they were on the city a lot sooner this time around.

"Not close enough. We won't be able to make any until we get to the City but I can recharge any of the empty ones I find. John, I'm kind of leery of doing that." McKay said, seriously," If the crystal is slightly crackled it would be unstable and if it does work? The government..." she trailed off but John knew what she was thinking.

"Might cancel the Pegasus Project completely because they would have a nearly unending power source." John whispered, "I don't think O'Neill will let that happen. Not after getting his head stuck in the head-sucky thing and getting the knowledge of the Ancients. He knows the Wraith are out there. O'Neill wants to find Atlantis as much as Daniel Jackson does."

"I don't know about that." McKay sighed, "When do we leave for your brother's wedding?" She asked putting her laptop in the small duffle bag and then pulling the blanket at the end of the bed over both of them.

"As soon as O'Neill approves our request for leave and we get packed."

"Where will we be going?"

"West Virginia," John said turning over away from McKay, "Get the lights, Rodney."

McKay groaned, waving a hand towards the light switch across the room from them, the room went dark.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OC's Resemble  
> Patrick Sheppard-Liam Neeson  
> Mirabella Sheppard- Angelica Houston  
> (recasted)David Sheppard-Matt Boomer

If anyone had told, retired Admiral Patrick Sheppard, that one of his sons would be marrying the daughter of his wife? Patrick would have thought that person crazy, but that was exactly what his son, David, planned to do the moment he had brought Jeanette Chasseur home to met his family a year ago and the discovery that she was his wife's second child was made. Though from what Patrick knew David had been involved with Jeannette for a few years now. Patrick knew his son, all of his sons, did not take commitment lightly once they decided to commit to something or someone.

Patrick ran a hand over his face, tiredly. He walked into his bedroom, pausing to lean against the door frame as he watched his wife, sitting at her vanity, brushing her onyx colored hair. Her bright blue eyes, caught him watching her, in amusement. It had been a lucky day for him when he had met Mirabella Chasseur. She had come in for a job interview at his father's company almost twenty years ago. Standing in the lobby of Sheppard Industries trying to look more confident than she obviously felt. Patrick's courtship of Mirabella had been a whirlwind one. With him on leave from the Navy, he had been short on time. In the end there had been a promise of a date and letters...six months later he married the woman. Bringing her into his life and that of his sons was one choice he could never regret. Even if it did cause him and his oldest son to fall out for a time.

John had loved his mother, Eva, and after her death no one was going to replace her. Patrick had understood that. Understood John's feelings of grief. There was no greater love than that of a boy for his mother. While Patrick would always love Eva, he hadn't been _in_ love with her. Eva had been the perfect Charleston socialite wife picked out by Patrick's father for him.

"Dearest is something wrong," Mirabella asked, concerned. "You've been staring at me for ten minutes now."

"You're beautiful?"

Mirabella snorted, "Yes, now tell me the real reason."

Patrick sighed, "Ryan told me that he talked to John last night," he walked over to the bed and sat on it, "He convinced John to come home for David's wedding. John called asking if he and a guest could come. I said yes, they'll be staying here."

"That's wonderful," Mirabella smiled  tensely. John was a sore subject with her husband most days. It didn't help that she knew she was the reason why, for Patrick's falling out with his oldest son. "It's a good thing, that he's coming home, Trick."

Patrick nodded. John had left for collage at sixteen. Patrick had been proud of him for that. Not so much when a half a year later John joined the Air Force. If John had wanted to fly so bad, well, the Navy had planes too. John had always been his rebel child. Patrick had been thankful that David had been won over by Mirabella's baking(the only type of cooking she could do) and that for Ryan she was the only mother he could remember.

Mirabella turned in her seat to look at her husband, "What are you really worried about?"

"You know how I keep track of the boy's careers?" Patrick asked, continuing at his wife's nod, "Well five months ago, John got suddenly reassigned to NORAD. John had been talking about riding out his time at McMurdo until he could retire. After that black mark against him..."

Patrick sighed not wanting to think how fucked up that it was. John got punished for saving the lives of his team. John had been PARARECUSE, for god sakes! There was no way John was going to leave his team behind if he thought he could save them. Which he had, except for his commanding officer's son. That young man's death had been the reason for John's black mark and banishment to the bottom of the world.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't. Was the main pit fall of a military career, Patrick knew.

"Mmm, yes, I know. The shipping charges of those care packages to Antarctica were horrid," Mirabella murmured, "Patrick, I think you are over thinking this. Be glad that John is coming home. That he wants to see you..."

"I'm afraid that John will see David marrying Jeannette as another slight against Eva's memory."

Mirabella hummed to herself picking up a bottle of her favorite perfume, "Who did John say he was bringing with him?"

"Someone called Meredith McKay--" Patrick saw Mirabella drop the perfume bottle, it hit the floor shattering. "Bella!" He exclaimed in concern at his wife's suddenly pale face.

"I'm fine, Patrick. It's just..." Mirabella trailed off, standing up, "I have to speak to Jeannette about the guest list," she said quickly leaving the room.

The overly sweet smell of roses filled the room making him nausea. Patrick frowned in the wake of his wife. Meredith McKay shared the same last name as Mirabella's ex-husband. From his wife's reaction he wondered if they shared more than that? He had the feeling he was missing something.

Patrick Sheppard hated that feeling.

***

John shook Rodney awake when the taxi cab pulled up to in front of the house. It had been easier to get leave for both himself and McKay than John thought it would. Especially after John walked in to General O'Neill's office, only to see Daniel Jackson sitting on O'Neill's desk in a short, very short black mini skirt. O'Neill seemed more than willing to give John anything to get rid of him.

After taking one look at the house McKay gave a soft laugh. "Why Colonel Sheppard, "she said in a mock Southern accent, "you should have told me we were coming to _Tara,_ " placing the back of her hand on her forehead, "I fear I shall have nothing to wear to the ball!"

"Rope it in, Babs." John muttered getting out of the cab, McKay smirking, followed.

The house was a Colonial mansion, made of red brick, it had white stone pillars and thick green ivy covered most of it. John got their bags and paid the driver of the cab, before walking up the cobble stone walk way to the steps of the porch, while carrying their bag to the front door. McKay was carrying their personal laptops in a carrying case over her shoulder.

"Seriously Sheppard, if I do need an evening dress? Your paying for it."

"This from some one who is a multi-millionaire how many times over?" John asked but was ignore, McKay straightened the jacket of her emerald pants suit. It was the type of outfit McKay preferred to wear when not in an SGC uniform for her jeans and t-shirt. It was flattering and professional looking.

John rang the door bell. The door was opened a few moments later by a man a few years younger than John. He had slicked back, slightly longish dark hair, cold green eyes with a small clef in his chin. He was handsome in the way old Hollywood movie stars were...

"Hi, Davey," John said quietly.

His brother glared at him, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Well, that's nice," John drawled back slowly.

David Sheppard's hard expression broke into a smile, "John, it's good to see you!" He grabbed his brother into a hug. "Come in, drop your stuff here. One of the servants will take them up to your room-"he noticed McKay, "rooms. Who's your pretty friend, John?" David asked as he led them down the hall way.

"This is Dr. Meredith Rodney McKay." John introduced, McKay by her full name. It was the way John had taken to introducing McKay to people who didn't know the circumstances of McKay's new gender. Leaving it up to McKay to decide what she wanted people to call her by...most of the time she just preferred _Doctor._

David frowned looking confused before he smiled and asked, "Are you a medical doctor?"

McKay blinked surprised, "You know your the first person to actually ask me that rather than just assume, I'm a medical doctor. Why someone would waste all that time on something that's a little more than voodoo, I'll never know."

John shook his head at McKay.

David shrugged, "People are idiots."

"I think I like him, Sheppard," McKay grinned at John.

"I always like being liked by a beautiful woman," David said with a laugh.

McKay's grin faded into a grimace. Compliments about anything related to being a woman still made McKay uncomfortable John knew. So he distracted David with, "None of that now, "his tone chiding. "You are about to be a married man."

David laughed again as he continued to lead them further down the hall and into a Receiving room.

A handsome but rough looking older man sat in a leather arm chair, his features strongly favored John's. They had the same wild hair but his eyes were more a golden hazel than green. He was also more bulky where John was wiry. On the couch sat a stylishly dressed woman with sleek blonde hair and a slightly crooked mouth, familiar blue eyes...

" _Jeannie?"_ McKay questioned in surprise.

 _"Mer!"_ Jeannie exclaimed, her eyes widening in shock at the sight of McKay, "What are you doing here?" she asked somewhat petulantly, in John's opinion.

"I could ask you the same." McKay muttered in confusion.

"I'm getting married." The blonde stated.

"I thought that was David Sheppard?"

"He is," Jeannie said, stressing the, " _to me."_

"Congratulations." McKay said flatly.

"John," his father said, "introduce your friend." He sounded generally interested, as David walked over to sit next to his fiancée.

John did so, also stating mostly for Jeannie's benefit, "She prefers to be called Rodney," glaring at the blonde. John remembered how the woman liked to make everything bad in her life McKay's fault. It hadn't helped that sometimes it actually had been because things that happened in Atlantis trickled back to Earth side.

Jeannie glared back, "What gives you the right to tell me what I can call my bro-" she corrected quickly, " _sister."_

John had to give Jeannie credit for at least attempting to keep classified information just that. Sadly, John knew that wasn't along with some other things, a secret that could be kept. Before John could say anything though a beautiful older woman with onyx colored hair and bright blue eyes...familiar eyes, glided into the room. Causing McKay to press herself up against John, trembling, not thinking John wrapped an arm around McKay's waist anchoring her to his side.

"Dearest Trick," the woman said in a light French accent, that John remembered grating on his nerves so badly as a teenager, was followed into the room by Ryan Sheppard and a pretty girl who couldn't have been any older than eighteen. The girl resembled the older woman with her dark hair and bright blue... And _god damn familiar **blue** eyes, _ John thought.

Mirabella Sheppard froze when she saw McKay, whispering out, " _Meredith..."_ shocked.

McKay took a deep breath, then softly said, "Hello Mother.

 


	4. Chapter 4

"Meredith," Mirabella said, getting a hold over her emotions. So, what if her oldest son- _err-_ _daughter?_ Was here and that she seemed to be in some sort of relationship with Patrick's oldest son? If the possessive way John had his arm around Meredith was anything to go by. Well, Mirabella had dealt with worst things in her life. Her marriage and divorce from Robert McKay being one of them. Ryan pulled Zoey over to the couch across the room out of the line of sight. Ryan was a bit over protective of his sister. It was one of the reasons that boy was her favorite. Mirabella walked over to the chair her husband was sitting in and sat on the arm of it.

"You look wonder! That picture Jeannette has of you hardly does you any justice, Meredith." Mirabella gushed, hoping this was the right reaction to give. She wasn't certain how to deal with the fact she had gone from having a _son_ to a _daughter._  It was strange how much Meredith looked like Mirabella's own mother now.

Meredith shook her head looking distressed, trying to back up but couldn't because of the hold John had on her. "I can't so this..." she gave John a wild eyed look, "I could deal with Jeannie or even," she glanced at Mirabella, " _her,_ but not both. I'm sorry Sheppard. _I can't!"_

"Hey, you want to go? We'll go." John said softly, "I'm sure we can find something g else to do for a month. It's not like my brother and your sister are getting married-" John paused, his eyes going comically wide, " _your sister and my brother!?"_ He looked at Patrick and Mirabella, "Or that my _dad_ and your..." giving Meredith a horrified look, " _She's your mother..."_ he trailed off realing they in fact _shared_ a sibling.

"Now he gets it," Meredith laughed, harshly, "We're just one step from a Greek Tragedy."

"Must you be so dramatic, Mer?" Jeannette asked snottily. Mirabella flinched at the tone as did Meredith. Sometimes Jeannette was far too much like Robert in her attitude.

"Must you call me that? My name is _Rodney!"_ Meredith snarled.

Mirabella understood the hatred her son had for the name. Meredith had been teased unmercylessily as a child for it. She never should have let Robert name the boy after his grandfather. She could also see that Meredith and Jeannette were just moments from a fight.

Suddenly Jeannette burst out with, "If you still _looked_ like my brother in stead of my sister maybe I would call you Rodney! Besides your _name_ is Meredith!"

"And this," Meredith said, running a shaking hand over her face, to John, "is why I don't visit my family."

"Oh, yes," Jeannette said, sarcastically, "poor, pitiful, Meredith McKay... It always has to be about _you,_ doesn't it. It's not like I'm the one getting married or anything?"

Mirabella watched as Meredith expression turned hard, her voice ice cold when she spoke, "If David Sheppard is even  _half_ the man John is? You are the luckiest woman on the planet. So stop acting like the spoiled little bitch that was put on this earth to make me miserable and start acting like the genius I know you are, _be worthy of him."_

"Luckiest woman on the planet?" Patrick murmured, grinning at Mirabella. Meredith pushed a lock of hair out of her face, the trembling in her hands worse and she took a step away from John, almost falling.

"McKay!" John exclaimed, grabbing Meredith before she could hit the floor. David moved quickly to help move Meredith to the couch next to Jeannette, a worried look flashing across the blonde woman's face.

"I'm fine, Sheppard." Meredith muttered, grumpily, trying to stand up and failing.

"McKay when was the last time you ate?" John asked, shoving Meredith back down on the couch, kneeling one the floor in front of her, reaching up to push Meredith dark hair from her face.

"Mmmm, sometime yesterday afternoon?" she said vaguely.

John cursed under his breath, then said, "McKay needs something to get her blood sugar up."

"Orange juice?" Ryan asked standing up, "I can get some from the kitchen."

"Yeah, if you want to _kill her,"_ John snarled.

"John!" Patrick reprimanded.

"Sorry, McKay is allergic to citrus." John said to his younger brother. "I hate it when she does stupid shit like this. Rodney knows better, " to Meredith he whispered, "You _damn well_ know better."

"Ryan, sweetheart, we have apple juice. Get that, please." Mirabella asked her step-son.

Ryan did as asked. Mirabella appraised the oldest son of her husband carefully. She wondered what it was about her children that made the Sheppard boys so protective of them. Mirabella watched as Zoey dug around her purse and pulled out one of the Power bars she always carried. Zoey got up and went over to John and held it out to him. John looked surprised. All Zoey said was,

"Meredith is not he only one in the family with hyperglycemia."

"Thanks," John said, taking it from Zoey. He tore it open and broke it in half, giving it to Meredith, "Eat," he told her. Mirabella saw the half-hearted glare Meredith gave John as she did as told.

Meredith made a face as she chewed on the bar and looked at her half-sister for the first time, "Yogurt, really?"

Zoey grinned, shrugging, "It's healthy."

"It's gross," Meredith complained. Ryan came back with a small bottle of apple juice, which Meredith took with a grateful smile before opening it and taking a long drink of it.

"Oaky," David said, "I can admit it, I'm confused." He turned towards Jeannette, "Jean, I thought you said you had a brother? In fact I'm sure you did."

"And when I told you that... I did." Jeannette muttered.

"David, it's quite obvious. My Darling Meredith had gender reassignment surgery." Mirabella said brightly. Because the last time she had seen Meredith he had just turned eighteen. Gender reassignment surgery was the only explanation for why her _son_ was now a _woman._ Meredith only took the other piece of Power bar from John as she looked down at her lap.

Jeannette frowned, "I thought this," waves a hand at Meredith, "was the result of a lab accident?"

"It was," Meredith muttered, "and it also _classified._ Look Jeannie, if you don't want me here. That's fine. I'll leave if you want. But you said you wanted a closer relationship with me... "she trailed off at Jeannette's confused look, "What?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about, Mer."

"The E-mails..."

Jeannette shook her head, "other than the one I got about your sex change? This is the first contact I've had with you since you stopped talking to me when I was dating the English Major," David growled audible at the mention of the man. Jeannette gave him a small smile before asking Meredith, "how long have you ben E-mailing me?"

"Three almost four months?"

"I could see missing one or two but that many?" Jeannette wondered.

"Hmm, everyone?" All eyes turned to Zoey, "It was me. I mean I've been the one in contact with Meredith. I heard Jeannette and mom talking about you one day. " Zoey rambled at Meredith, "and I wanted to get to know you. So when I found you were E-mailing Jeannette I hack her computer and made sure the emails came to me... I just wanted to know you!" she ended on a wail.

"Calm down, kid. There are so many things wrong with what you did," John sighed, "I know McKay spoke of some classified information in those emails that _Jeannie_ was cleared to know. " Zoey looked upset, "But I doubt McKay is going to be mad because her sister wanted to get to know her. "

"No, I'm not." Meredith said softly, putting down the half drank bottle of apple juice on the table in next to the couch, "but I think I would like to lay down for a bit, if you down mind."

"Zoe can show you to the room you're staying in, "Patrick said kindly, "John would you stay? I have some questions for you." Mirabella could see that was the last thing John wanted to do from the look on his face.

Zoey nodded at her father and took her older sister by the arm when she stood up. As Zoey led Meredith from the room they could hear her say, "You can tell me all about yourself while you nap, Meredith."

And Meredith reply of, "I don't think napping works that way."

Mirabella focused on her husband when he asked, sharply, "Tell me who to contact John." Mirabella watched as John tore his eyes away from the doorway Meredith had walked through.

"Dad, no..."

"I've heard rumors about what goings on in that mountain, John. The fact that you brought home a scientist that I know for a fact up until a year ago was a man? Mostly because I wanted to hire him for the company. I was told no repeatedly by a blonde Air Force Major. This only confirms the rumors for me. Now tell me or I'll just start calling the people I know and make waves."

"Classified, Dad."

"A _name_ , John.

"Can't you just stay out of it," John asked, getting up and sitting next to Jeannie, annoyed.

"Mered-Rodney McKay is Mirabella's child, John. I've always considered both her children family, even if I hadn't met either of them until recently." Patrick gives Mirabella a meaningful look. Yes, she would have some explaining to do as to why she never told him about Rodney. "That young woman is not happy. That's something I think you want to fix." Patrick said giving John a knowing look that the other man wiled under.

"The tech that gave McKay his sex change is locked up tighter than Fort Knox. No one as access to it. Even if it still worked? There's a chance it can't reverse what happened to McKay, no one wants to risk Rodney's life or the life of the other scientist that was involved in the accident." John told them.

"McKay knows this. No _he_ isn't happy about it. But I think _she_ is coming to terms with it." At the look on Patrick's face, John continued, "Since I know you won't leave it alone and I also know that your company is up for a government contract... General O'Neill gave me his contact information for you, Dad. Just don't get me fired. There's a mission coming up, I really want to go on." John pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to his father. Patrick smiled tightly, nodding and he got up, he caressed Mirabella cheek softly, then left the room. Mirabella took his seat, watching the oldest Sheppard son. She graced John with a vicious smile, he was going to tell Mirabella very thing she had missed out in her oldest child's life. So even told him so.

The boy had the gall to smirk at her and say,

"Classified."

~~

_**Yes, my dad married McKay's mom and we share a sibling. Yes, my brother is also marring McKay's sister.** _

_**No, it didn't happen in the old time line. Yes, it's weird.** _

**Still not talking about my mother.**

**oh, quit laughing Sheppard. Do you want to talk about your mother?**

**I thought so.**

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

Zoey Sheppard led Meredith up a large spiral stair case to the second floor of the house. She couldn't help bouncing around the dark haired woman. This was her _sister!_ Jean was great and a good fit for David but sometimes Zoey got the feeling that Jeanie just didn't _get_ her. Zoey asked Meredith what her favorite food was, TV show, movies were: the basic getting to know you questions. Meredith sighed, rolling her eyes but answered them good naturedly, muttering if she had ever been so young herself.

Zoey walked over to the third door on the right of the hallway and into the room, Meredith followed her. "The servants should have brought your things...Oh, they did," Zoey motioned to the dresser, as she hopped onto the bed, "your suitcases should be unpacked. Mom wasn't sure if you and John would want to share a room. Uhm, we can move John into his own if, hm, you want?"

"No. it's fine." Meredith said looking around the room that was decorated in tasteful blues, whites and green, "I didn't see any servants. David opened the door when we got here."

Zoey nodded, "Daddy says we shouldn't rely on them. So we only have a chief, two part time maids and the security staff."

"Security staff?"

"Yeah," Zoey sighed, "ever since I wrote that paper on Quantum Physics Applied To Space Travel? Think tanks, private companies and different government agencies want to hire me...or kidnap me. I just want to finish grad school like a normal teenager." That Meredith's surprised look, "Daddy said I got my brain from Mom."

"That is a good possibility, "Meredith murmured. "Bathroom?"

Zoey pointed at the door leading to the adjoining bathroom. Meredith nodded her thanks as she unbuttoned her jacket and kicked off the black flats she was wearing. Walking over to the dresser she opened a couple of drawers, finding some clothes. A pair of soft blue lounge pants and a well-worn men's ivory colored linen shirt, before going into the bathroom.

Zoey looked at the bathroom door, getting off the bed she made a be line for the laptop case sitting on the dresser.

~~

**Yes, I left a girl with a genius IQ with my-our laptops.**

**Of course I knew what she was going to do!**

**Quit laughing, Sheppard!**

~~

Rodney leaned against the bathroom door for a moment. _What the hell I'm I suppose to do with her?_ Rodney wondered, he had read that paper on Quantum Physics Applied To Space Travel and while some things had been wrong in it? That was only because the writer didn't have the knowledge that Rodney did, but he could see where the writer was trying to get too. Rodney had been biting at the bit to get Dr. Zoe Sheppard as a part of the team for Atlantis. But now that Rodney knew how old she was? And who she was?

No.

Rodney changed clothes, avoiding looking into the mirror as he did so. Leaving his clothes on the bathroom floor, he finished buttoning the soft ivory colored shirt, rolling the sleeves up, as he opened the bathroom door. He paused, watching more curious than angry at the sight of Zoey on the bed with his laptop in her lap. Zoey was staring at the screen of the computer with a frustrated look on her face as she began to type on the keyboard.

"Fine anything interesting?" He asked.

"No," Zoey jumped startled, she pouted as she said, "I haven't got past your secondary password."

"How did you get past the first?" Rodney wondered, coming over to the bed.

"Oh, please," she scoffed, "the answer was forty-two-spelled out. You do know that is not the answer to life and everything, right? Jean said the science in the book drove you crazy but you liked it anyway."

"Yes, I like a lot of stupid things." Rodney said flopping down onto the bed on his stomach, next to Zoey, burying his face into the pillow.

"Like my brother?" Zoey teased, gently, unsurely.

"Uh? What? No!"

"Right," Zoey said, disbelieving, "It wasn't like more than half of the E-mails you sent weren't half about Colonel John Sheppard."

"Not talking about that moron," Rodney muttered into the pillow, then raised his head, "Look, you can stay and nap with me or you can leave but we are not talking about Sheppard."

"I'm a Sheppard," Zoey said quietly.

"Then talk about yourself."

"But I'm just a science and math nerd," flailing her arms and almost knocking Rodney's laptop into the floor, "with a few other interests. I'm not all that interesting." Zoey moaned, as only a teenager could.

Rodney propped his head into his hand, and thought about something he once said to Jeannie when she had been unsure if she wanted to continue school, "Kid, I'm going to give you some advice. It is a known fact that Geeks will inherit the Earth because Goons will always want more firepower and we're," he pointed to himself and Zoey, "are the _ones_ who _create_ that fire power. So that? That makes you the most interesting person in the room where ever you are."

Zoey blinked, "I never thought of it like that."

Rodney dropped her head back down on to the pillow, closing her eyes.

"So, what do you think of the **Back to the Future** movies."

Rodney was torn between laughing uncontrollably because _really?_ He looked at _Sheppard's_ sister because there was no way Rodney was going to claim the girl as kin if she actually liked those movies, and "Oh, god, no!" Rodney grabbed the pillow under her head and hit Zoey in the face with it.

The girl looked shocked for a moment, "This means war, you know," before she grabbed the other pillow on the bed and hit Rodney back with it.

The ensuing pillow fight left them both laughing.

***

John spent twenty grueling minutes dodging his step-mother's questions. John was sure he understood McKay a bit better now. Mirabella questions were straight forward and well thought out, her light French accent fooled you into thinking she was just a vapid socialite-if you were an idiot. Which John wasn't, despite what Rodney had to say on the subject of John's intelligence.

John was actually grateful when his father's shout of, "JOHN BUCHANAN SHEPPARD!" John couldn't stop the wince he made at the sound of it.

"The full name," David murmured, his fingers laced through Jeannie's, "and you haven't been here an hour yet."

"Someone's in trouble, "Ryan sing-songed, grinning from where he was sprawled on the love seat across the room from them.

"JOHN, GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE! YOU HAVE SOME EXPLAINING TO DO!"

"Come, John," Mirabella said standing up from the chair, "I'll show to Patrick's study. He moved it to a different room from the last time you were here."

John nodded, glaring at his snickering brothers. Jeannie had a slight smile. John followed his step-mother out of the room. He got the feeling that Jeannie didn't like him much. Which was odd, _their_ Jeannie had like John. But that was only when John put McKay down like she did. John regretted how he had treated Rodney in the other timeline. That's not to say, McKay hadn't held his own or hadn't gotten his own back but there had been some instances where John had been out of line in his treatment of McKay and he knew that.

_I'm going to treat McKay differently this time,_ John promised, _McKay will never be in doubt of our friendship._

Mirabella led John down a couple of hallways before stopping in front of a door and knocked on it before she opened it. John walked into the room and she closed it behind him. John heard O'Neill's voice coming from the speaker phone on his father's desk, Patrick motioned to the chair in front of the desk,

"... _you will have to sign the paperwork before John or the Rep I send can tell you or your family anything, Admiral."_

"Not an Admiral anymore, General, I told you to call me, Patrick."

_"Yeah, no. I've read your record, Sheppard. The full one. I'm calling you, Admiral."_

"That record should still be classified, damn it!" Patrick snarled.

" _Well, Admiral, your not the only one with some pull in our government. Hey, you ever think about running for senate? You would make a great presidential candidate ."_

"Can't say that has ever crossed my mind. I'd just be happy with that government contract for my company."

O'Neill laughed.

John took the seat in front of his dad's desk, looking around the room. The style hadn't changed much, mostly leather and mahogany red wood. The computers and phones were the latest models. He shifted uncomfortable remembering the last time he had been in his father's study. Patrick wanted him to go to Yale and get a business degree so he could join the company when he graduated.

John had just wanted to fly and maybe study math at the time. That had been the same in both timelines. Where they differed was in this one John had been angry and resentful of Mirabella presence in their lives. In the other timeline he and his father had fought over John's sexuality. John was bi-sexual and had never understood what that had to do with any of his life choices but who was in his bed at the time. He did understand that while he was in the military, men were not an option less the relationship was a secret. John had a problem of keeping his feelings to himself. So there hadn't been that many men once John had started to wear an Air Force uniform.

John rubbed his forehead, tiredly, he had been petty in both timelines.

"John?" At the quiet question, John looked up at his father. Patrick's full attention was on his son, so he must have finished speaking with O'Neill, because he said, "General O'Neill said that he's sending a messenger via Thor's mail service?'

_Huh, the Asgard are in town,_ John thought with a grin. Yeah, the naked little guys use to freak him out. Especially after meeting their feral cousins in Pegasus in the other timeline. When Hermiod saved Lorne's team on MXCC-1701, a couple months ago, John got over it mostly. He still agreed with McKay that any race that clones off their dick? Can't be as smart as they think they are. Carson Beckett was able to help with the cloning issues the Asgard were having and saved the race of people as a result.

_Three, two..._ John mentally counted down, there was a flash of bright light and his father's startled shout. When the light from the Asgard beam faded a slightly pale skinned man with black hair that had a bit of a widow's peak and brown eyes, stood in Air Force blues in the study, blinking his eyes rapidly. He held a briefcase in his left hand. He straightened when he saw John and saluted.

"At ease, Captain Cooper," John said lazily. Blake Cooper was one of the best Jag lawyers that the SGC had. Professional, smart, dictated. He looked very inch the Air Force soldier until he opened his mouth,

"Col. Sheppard, good to see you again. How are you enjoying your most resent promotion," and a New South Wales accent can tumbling out. Cooper had grown up in the UK, his father being station there. When Copper had turned eighteen he had followed his father's foot steps into the military, to honor him. Blake Cooper kept his accent to honor his mother.

John was bringing Cooper to Pegasus because you never knew when you might need a good lawyer and Cooper had the natural ATA gene as well as a degree in animal husbandry of all things?

"Who know when you saved the world from a Gou'ald bent on destroying it? They make you a full bird Colonel? I was still getting use to being a Lt. Colonel." John said. It had only been happenstance that John and McKay had even been at the outpost when the attack happened. Zelenka had request McKay's help with the control chair and John had played taxi cab. John had sat down in it with a smirk as it lit up under him. The chair had given him the warning about unknown ships and John had automatically readied the drones at he outpost to help the 302 fighters against Anubis's Ha'tak gliders.

Later McKay told him that she used the distraction of the attack to stop the signal that would have led the Wraith to Earth. bouncing it back to Pegasus making it look like it came from an abandon Ancient outpost on a planet that couldn't support any life. She told him that she had to burn up a lot of the ZMP to do it.

"How do you want to do this, Colonel? Do you want to explain everyone once they sign the confidential agreement? Or just the Admiral?" Cooper asked, "I think you should know, General O'Neill really wants to add a SEAL team to the mountain."

"Weren't those Army Rangers enough?"

"Not according to the General," Cooper told them.

"Why don't you and John tell me what I should know and then I'll decide if my family should be involved." Patrick said.

John thought about what he could tell his father. About the horrors and the wonders John had seen...

In the end he decided to go with what had convinced him, "Space ships, Dad."

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OC Reseamble  
> Cap. Blake Cooper- Anthony McPartlin

Zoey carefully slipped out of bed. She didn't want to disturb Meredith. Her sister, _gods wasn't that great?_ Was sleeping soundly. Zoey left the room. Once she got down stairs she heard voices coming from her father's study, going over to the door Zoey heard her father's shout of,

" _Time Travel!? Alternate Realities!?"_

_I knew it!_ Zoey thought excitedly. She had know since the fourth Email she had gotten that Meredith was involved in something big. Zoey tapped lightly on the door before opening it to see her oldest brother sprawled lazily, the way Ryan often did, in a chair by the desk. A cute dark haired man in Air Force blues stood in front of an open briefcase that was on the desk, he was going through some papers.

"There you are John!" Zoey said acting like she had been looking for him and not spying, "Meredith's asleep-" she frowned and looked at the man in uniform, again. He seemed familiar to Zoey. She could swear she had seen him before- _Oh,_ eyes widening, to him Zoey asked, "Wait, aren't you-"

"NO!" the man exclaimed suddenly, "I just _look_ a lot like him...it's uncanny, huh? But no, not him," his brown eyes glancing away from her nervously.

"So you've never had a career as a movie actor?" Zoey asked unconvinced.

"Nope."

"You wouldn't lie, would you?"

"No."

"How is Donavan by the way," she asked innocently.

"Oh, he's great working on his fourth doctorate-" Blake Cooper trails off, closing his eyes, cursing under his breath. wondering how this slip of a girl ha tricked him. Normally he would have just ignored the question but Donavan had been on his mind a lot lately.

"I knew it!" Zoey said pointing at him, I knew you were _BP Coop_."

"What are you going on about, Zoe? "Patrick asked gaining a glare from his daughter before she turned a starry-eyed look back to the young captain.

"Daddy, this is _BP Coop!_ "

Patrick looked clueless.

"Daddy, he's in those two alien movies you like," Zoey said patiently, "The ones with Agent Z who teams up with those two teenagers? He," she pointed to the captain, "played one of the teenagers in the movie!"

Patrick looked at the young man again and wondered how he missed it the resemblance the man had to the teenager in the movie.

"Oh, god, tell me you didn't watch those bloody things!" Blake said horrified, covering his face with his hands.

"There my favorite right after the **Back to the Future** movies." Zoey gushed.

"Make a movie with me, he said," Blake's voice muffed by his hands, "It will be a lark, he said." Donavan Declan had been the reason for more than one bad decision Blake had made in his life. He dropped his hands from his face, "If those damn things hadn't paid for Van's education..."

"It was a sad day when you gave up acting to go into the military," Zoey said with a regretful sigh. Because the third movie would have shown who the real love interest for BP Coop's character in the movie was, Agent Z, the best friend or the Alien. _Luckily fan fiction is a girl's best friend,_ Zoey thought.

John gave the captain a look, "I wondered why you seemed to hate crowds. Were you afraid someone would recognize you?"

"Those things are occult classics now, Sir." Blake muttered, shifting where he stood.

"Oh," Zoey said suddenly, brightly, "Does this mean we get to know what John and Meredith do for a living now? By the way John, your sharing a room with Meredith."

John shrugged, "Not the first time," watching how Blake shuffles papers around with far more concentration than John thinks the act deserves. "Zoey, if you want to stay on McKay's good side, you really need to start calling her Rodney."

Zoey frowned, "But she's a woman?"

"McKay wants to be called Rodney-"

"Or Doctor," Blake threw in cheekily. Knowing that Dr. McKay preferred the term of address.

"Yes," John drawled, sarcastically, "thank you, Captain." Back to Zoey he said, "McKay is only going to let Jeannie and maybe her mother call her Meredith willingly. Even I rarely use McKay's first name."

"Do you call her doctor?" Zoey asked, intrigued by this information about her oldest sister.

"When the circumstances calls for it, yes." John told her, to Blake he said, "Captain Copper, I believe we are finished here?"

The captain nodded, "I need everyone in your family to sign these," he pulled out a stack of papers and handed them across the desk to Patrick.

Patrick took them, "Zoe, please go get your brothers, Jeannette and Bella."

Once Zoey had left the room, "You do know she's going to want in, right. If she's smart even to hack Jeannie email...If she's eve half as smart as Rodney or Jeannie the SGC will make a place for her." John told his father.

"I know. I just wish she had waited to release that paper, "Patrick muttered, "at least until she was completely done with school. As if one doctorate wasn't enough..."

"Oh," Blake's eyes went wide, "she's that Dr. Zoe Sheppard? " At Patrick's nod, he continued, "Van's been raving about her work. He thinks she may had stumbled upon a new math."

"Zoe has a doctorate?" John asked, surprised.

"She has two," Patrick sighed," and is studying for a _third."_

_***_

When Rodney woke up from her nap, she rolled over and looked at the clock on the bedside table that was sitting next to the lamp. She had been a sleep for two hours and her sister was gone. _Typical Sheppard behavior,_ Rodney thought grumpily as she got out of bed and went to the bathroom. When she was done she left the room, she wanted food and to find Sheppard. Rodney walked down the stairs wondering where the kitchen was when she heard laughter coming from a room down the hall, she followed it into a lounge/family room. John was sitting on the floor by a coffee table that was covered in boxes of pizza with a few two liter bottles of soda and some red solo cups. David and Jeannie sat cuddled on the couch looking sickeningly sweet. Zoey was sprawled in an over stuffed arm chair, one leg swung up over the arm of it. Ryan sat on the floor in front of it passing Zoey a bottle of water.

"...And the Princess wanted to keep Lorne-Hey, look who's up." John said when he caught sight of Rodney by the door. "Have a nice nap?"

"Were you telling them about the time Lorne got kidnap by the Verifone or the Papkin?" Rodney asked, knowing Sheppard's family must have signed the confidential agreements. Sheppard wouldn't be telling stories about what happened on SG missions otherwise.

"The Verifone, You look better," John said, softly, he patted the floor next to him, "Come eat. I had them get your favorite."

"I swear, Sheppard, if it has Canadian Bacon on it-"

"I would never..." John said, slyly.

"You have." Rodney said, flatly.

"I got you ham, onion and mushroom."

"You're a god among men, Sheppard." Rodney deadpanned, "I don't care what Lorne says about you." Rodney walked over and sat down next to John grabbing the paper plate he had put the pizza on.

"What as Lorne been saying-"John wondered, frowning.

In order not to have to answer Rodney took a bite of her pizza while motioning for John to pour her some soda. John did, rolling his eyes at her. Rodney noticed that Patrick Sheppard and her mother were not here, "Where are..."

"The parents?" Zoey asked, wiping her lips with a napkin, "Holed up in Daddy's study with that cute Captain Cooper-"

_"Too old for you!!!"_ All the male Sheppards in the room said.

Zoey heaved a sigh, "He brought us papers to sign. Which we all have and John promised to tell us what you both really do at NORAD. I never did believe that lame story about deep radar telemetry."

"O'Neill works fast." Rodney commented.

"He thinks he's going to get a SEAL team, the one my brother is on, if the genetic testing proves he as the ATA gene." John told Rodney.

"O'Neill's having your family tested?"

John nodded picking up a bread stick, tearing it in half and dipping it into some ranch sauce. Smirking at the face Rodney made at the act. "You know, O'Neill is always looking for those of us with the ATA gene."

"And they agreed to that?"

"I think Dr. Frasier or Carson is suppose to show up tomorrow to take the blood samples."

"Of course we agreed!" Zoey exclaimed excitedly, "We want to know what you do! To get to know you and well, "her gaze went a bit starry -eyed, "I heard there is _time-travel_ and _alternate_ _realities_ involved," she blinked focusing back on Rodney, "I want to be a part of that shit."

Rodney opened her mouth to state her opinion only to have John shove the other half of his bread stick into her mouth. Rodney glared at him as she bit down on the piece of bread, tearing it as she savagely pulled off a bit.

"They also want to test Zoey, Jeannette and Mirabella," David said refilling his cup, "They think one of them might have the gene because you do, McKay."

Rodney frowned, "I got my ATA gene from a lab."

John shook his head, "That's not completely true. Your gene was dormant until the lab accident, remember? And Carson Beckett's gene therapy only woke it in the old time line."

Rodney sighed at the looks that sentence got. "Are we really doing this?"

"Yep," John said.

"Everything?"

Yep."

Rodney took a deep breath, "Ten million years ago an ancient race known as the Alterans..."

***

After an explanation that took two hours, Ryan Sheppard summed  it up with a slightly manic gleam in his green eyes, " _Wormhole X-treme_ is real!"

"Zoey, you're closer hit him." John muttered, because that was such a terrible show even for one on the _Sy-fy_ channel.

" _Wormhole X-treme_ is really, real!" Zoey gushed like a fan-girl.

John and Rodney groaned as Ryan and Zoey began grilling them with questions about the show based on the Star Gate program with the zeal only true fans of a show could have for it.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

Patrick Sheppard let out a sigh of relief when the young captain left in a flash of light. He looked over at his wife. Bella's stunned amazement on her face. Aliens, mythical floating cities in other galaxies, time travel and alternate realities was a lot to take in as something fictional, let alone have it all confirmed as real.

"I always knew my Meredith was special, "Mirabella murmured  softly, proudly.

Patrick rubbed a hand over his face. It had been a long day. "Let's go to bed. We can talk to the children in the morning."

***

Once the pizza boxes and plates of their dinner were disposed of conversation turned more personal between the Sheppard and McKay siblings. Questions like how John and Rodney met in their old time line and how they thought they came to be in this one...were the dating? That question didn't come from Zoey but Jeannie and caused Rodney to sputter of denials that they were seeing anyone at all. Causing the others to laugh.

"Okay, turn about is fair play," Rodney said with a grin, How did you and David met, Jeannie?"

Jeannie got a serious look, "You know how I was dating that nice English major?" When David growled again, the blonde turned to him and said, "You really have to stop doing that every time he is mentioned, David."

"No, I don't."

Jeanie sighed, "Turned out Kaleb Miller wasn't the _nice_ guy everyone thought."

"No, he wasn't," David said softly taking Jeannie's hand, "I met Jean because of a case. Someone was killing the previous owners of certain paintings."

John frowned, "I thought you worked in white collar crimes?"

"Yes, but people kill for the stupidest reasons. I was asked to consult with the BAU on the case."

"I bought a painting, "Jeannie said, "It was gong to be for mother. What I didn't know was the paintings history or that someone wanted the painting more than I did. David was investigating its past owners and found me but not before Kaleb did. Kaleb dated me in order to get close to the painting."

"Miller was killing people over it. Some childhood trauma because his mother had painted it or something. He had left a trail of bodies from Mexico to Canada before he was stopped." David said with a dark look.

"I got very lucky that David figured it out before Kaleb had the chance to hurt me." Jeannie said.

An incredulous expression crossed David's face, "He shot you, Jean!"

"Well, I had just destroyed the object of his obsession, David. He was kind of angry at me."

"And I thought McKay was noting but trouble." John said with a grin.

"Hey! I only get into trouble because I'm saving your ass, Sheppard...or the planet, mostly you." Rodney defended herself.

"Anyway," Jeannie cut in, "Mother, Zoey and I will be taking you shopping, Mer. You'll need a dress for the Sheppard Industries Gala and one for my wedding."

"I have other pant suits..."Rodney had a hunted expression, the last thing she wanted to do was go _shopping._

"Yes, I'm sure you do," Jeannie agreed, "and that one you were wearing today was surprisingly fashionable but you can't wear one to a _Gala event!_ And if you are going to be my maid of honor..."

"Oh, Jeannie, don't go to any trouble or put anyone out of their place -"

Zoey snorted, "Please, take my place as maid of honor, Rodney. It's not like Jeannie has any other female friends to ask."

"Neither do you, Zoey. Don't be a brat." Ryan said.

Zoey hit him on the back of the head, "Go drown, Ryan."

Which was probably the most ironic thing to say to a Navy SEAL.

"Harsh," Ryan muttered, rubbing the back of his head, face pained.

"Harsh? Really? Who sabotaged my date last week?"

"Graham Pierce is an asshole!" Ryan said hotly, "He's also to old for you!"

"He's your age and you are only four years older than me!"

Ryan crossed his arms over his chest, "I don't like him."

"You're not the one dating him!" Zoey grinned, meanly, "Besides he's not the only one I'm dating."

Shocked," What?" Ryan asked, narrowing his eyes at her, "Who's this other guy?"

"Like I'm telling you that."

"I'm guessing we don't like Zoey's boyfriend?" John asked.

"Oh, god," David murmured, "the guy really is an asshole."

"Not you too, Davey," Zoey complained.

"Don't forget the daddy issues the kid has," Jeannie said, grinning at the glare she got from the younger girl.

"Sorry, kiddo," David said, "the guy's just not good enough for you. He's just a self-absorbed jerk living off his daddy's money" David said, not unkindly.

Zoey stood up from her chair, According to you and Jerk-face here," motioning to Ryan , "and Daddy? there is not one _good_ enough for me! And none of you know anything about Graham! He's nice and smart enough to keep up with me. It'd not his fault that he's socially retarded!" Zoey finished angrily with, "I like him and that's all that matters!" Before storming out of the room.

"Well," John drawled, looking at McKay, "She as your temper."

McKay gave him an unimpressed look before up ending her soda over his head.

***

Later that night, in their room, John watched McKay pace the floor as he lay on the bed fresh from the shower, in just a pair of sleep pants and his dog tags. John wondered if McKay even noticed? McKay had always been kind of oblivious to subtlety. If it didn't have to do with saving the universe or cats? Rodney McKay never saw what was right in front of him. John had to admit he didn't mind the sight before him, Rodney was still wearing the ivory colored linen shirt that belonged to him. John was sure he never looked that good in it. Along with black boxers that showed off McKay's legs nicely. John was sure McKay was wearing things like that on purpose.

"What's wrong, McKay?"

"I'm wondering where our lived changed so much from the old time line that _our parents_ met and, well, _spawned!"_

"Hey, Zoey seems cool."

"Of course she's cool," McKay snapped, "she's a Sheppard! As if she would be anything else."

John knew there was a complement in there somewhere.

"I meant the event, the _turning_ point. My mother obviously met your father after she left mine in this time line. She never left my father in the old one. What I don't understand is why she abandoned me and Jeannie to that...that... Well, I didn't have much for my mother-"

"McKay-"

"I was ten when she let, Sheppard. But I was twenty-one when both of my parents died in a car crash in the old time line. It's so strange to have two sets of memories sometimes."

John nodded, agreeing with that, it really was, "I was almost fourteen when Dad brought Mirabella home for us to meet, almost fifteen when they got married. I don't remember her mentioning having any children of her own." The look on Rodney's face made John regret saying anything, so he said, "But I was so mad at her very presence in our lives I never asked too many questions. I think Dad met her through the company? Something about how she was suppose to get a job there? Or had got one?

McKay slowed her pacing at John's words, "She...missed the...bus."

"What?"

"My mother, she had a job interview when I was twelve...In the old time line. She kept saying how much the job would change everything for us when she got it. But Jeannie was acting up that day and Mom was late getting us to the babysitter. She missed the bus and was late for the interview. She didn't get the job because of that. When my mother left my father in this reality...she didn't have to deal with us that day and didn't miss the bus.

Weird how one event can change, well, everything." McKay said excitedly.

"Glad that's figured out," John muttered.

"Really, Sheppard!"

"McK-Rodney! Stop." John sighed, "Just come to bed."

McKay made a disgruntled sound but did as asked, crawling into the bed next to John, she whispered, "I wanted this to be _our_ reality, so badly, John. It would have been easier if it had been. Now though? There are so many variables in the equation. I can't even pretend to be able to predict what might happen next."

"So, don't," John said, at a look from her, he continued, "Things were going to change anyway. Not just for us but for all of the ATA gene carriers. Change isn't always bad, Rodney, just hard."

McKay groaned, dropping her head to John's shoulder. Her hand came up to play with his dog tags. Her fingers ghosted over a raised puckered scar, that almost looked like a burn, you could only feel it and not see it clearly because of John's thick black and sliver chest hair. John stiffened at her touch but didn't pull away. McKay pushed away from John's shoulder and slayed her hand over his chest, her finger tips brushing other matching scars and the biggest on lay under her palm."

"Why do you have a Wraith feeding scar?" McKay asked, mouth slanted down, "I don't have any of the scars I got in Pegasus. John-"

" _I don't know._ I woke in my quarters at McMurdo, a year and a half ago from a dream that I was being feed on by Todd. The first thing I did was see if the scar was there. It was how I knew I was me0me and not some one else." John had a theory that he woke from the dream the same time that McKay had the accident in the lab or just after it happened.

"Sheppard, if the scar traveled with you, what else did?"

That was the one question that John feared. There had been consequences to getting bitten by an alien bug and young female Wraiths. Consequences that had given John faster reflexes, more stamina, made him stronger. It also gave him better hearing and, he let the crimson colored nictitating membrane cross both his eyes. John could see the thermal temptature of McKay's body as easily as if John wear wearing thermal vision goggles.

"Carson, once I was sure he remembered Atlantis, hide the fact I still traces of Iratus RNA. He also helped me get my baseline. I'm not quite as fast or strong as I was in the old time line but more so than any other humanoid race discovered by the SGC."

"Sheppard, you can't get bit by that bug or Ella again..."

"Carson doesn't think I'll turn into a bug again."

"He didn't think so the _first_ time! I don't want to have to deal with Wraith Sheppard!" McKay mumbled, "Besides Carson was the reason-"

"I know, Rodney. We've talked about that already. Carson and I talked about it. We both know if Carson does go to Atlantis he can't be the MCO. He knows that too. I think he would turn down the position if it was afforded to him. The Huffians and Michael won't happen again. We _won't_ let it." John said letting his eyes go back to their normal human green, "Can we please go to sleep _now?"_

McKay nodded, reaching over and turning out the lamp on the bed side table, laying back down. There were a few moments of silence,

"McKay?"

"What?"

"Still need my snoring to sleep by?"

McKay hit him in the face with her pillow.

~~

**I'm not violent when dealing with Sheppards!**

_**Actually McKay--** _

**Just up or I'll smack you.**

_**See violenc-OW!** _

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OC Resembles-  
> Adam Wright-Tom Felton

The next morning brought Dr. Jennifer Keller and a couple of SG nurses to the Sheppard's door for the blood tests. It was the nurses who took the blood from the Sheppards, Mirabella and Jeannie. While Keller, mostly tried to talk to Ryan, Zoey glared at the blonde doctor harshly. John watched the young woman like a hawk, gritting his teeth he had seen her act this way before with McKay. It wasn't until the woman asked Ryan if he had a date for the Sheppard's Industries Gala. That John reminded Keller that she was here to do a job and not to try to climb the social ladder. Insulted Keller huffed, going back to doing her job-watching the nurses as they did theirs.

Once they were finished and left, Zoey dragged McKay out to the pool house. Where Zoey's make shift lab was set up...

***

Patrick looked up from the papers he was reading at the loud booming noise. He rushed out of his study and to the back of the house out the back door. The security team was already there, he watched as bright pink smoke billowed out of the pool house. A few minutes later, Adam Wright, one of the youngest on the security team came out carrying Zoey. John and Ryan came out carrying Rodney between them, her arms over both of their shoulders, coughing heavily.

Wright set Zoey down few feet from the pool, he looked back at the other three, "Are you okay? Should an ambulance be called for anyone?"

John spoke lowly to Rodney then looked at his brother before shaking his head.

"We're okay!" Zoey said brightly, her hand combing through Wright's short blond hair, in a calming gesture. Patrick wondered when the two got so close, Adam Wright had struck Patrick as standoffish, he was going to have to keep an eye on the relationship between the two.

"Why did you do that!" Ryan yelled, gently pushing Rodney into John's arms, "McKay told you to hold that vial!"

"Oh, please," Zoey scoffed, "Rodney wouldn't have given me the vial if I wasn't suppose to add it."

Rodney coughed out, "You were suppose to _hold_ it. Until I was ready for you to add it!"

"Come on, McKay, it was kind of awesome!" John said.

" _Awesome?"_ Ryan asked, "Zoey could have killed us!"

"I wouldn't go that far," McKay muttered, "turned our skin neon pink at worse," she frowned, "maybe?"

Zoey shot Ryan a smug look, getting up with Adam Wright's help, "Why do you have to be such a fun-sucker?" Adam hid his face in Zoey's dark hair, snickering.

"If you didn't try to kill me once a week? Maybe I wouldn't suck so much!" Ryan exclaimed, pausing when he realized what he said, closing his eyes, "Not a word, Zoey."

Adam snickered louder, Zoey smacked him on the shoulder. Ryan frowned at the blond man with laughing silver colored eyes.

Patrick had heard enough and decided he should be the adult seen none of these children were going to, "What the hell happened?" Only to face-palm when John, Rodney, Zoey and Ryan began pointing at each other.

Adam Wright lost any sense of professionalism and began to laugh out loud.

***

A couple of day's later Patrick walked into the music room expecting it to be his wife playing the grand piano, he was surprised to see Rodney. The music she was playing reminded Patrick of raindrops falling onto a pool of water, it was haunting and beautiful.

"You play," Patrick said, startling, Rodney into hitting a jarring note before she corrected and continued playing, "beautifully, Rodney."

Rodney grimaced, "I play, technically well. I was told that I have no true passion for it."

From the music Patrick heard? Someone had lied to Rodney.

"Now Mother? She plays..." Rodney trailed off and stopped playing the piano, "like a true virtuoso. Which I'm sure you've heard, Admiral."

Patrick nodded, he was sure he had fallen in love with Mirabella the first time he had heard her play the piano. "You can call me Patrick, Rodney. I haven't been an Admiral for a few years now."

Rodney shrugged, "You earned your rank. Even retired you should still be addressed as Admiral. Besides it's taken Sheppard years to drill military ranks into my head. You shouldn't try to undo all of his hard work."

_Years,_ Patrick wondered at the ease which she said that. Reminding him that this _person_ had own his son better and for longer than he, himself had if Patrick believed in alternate time lines and realities. He wasn't so sure that he did outside  of fiction. But the more he saw his oldest son and this woman react to and each other proved how little Patrick actually knew about John.

"You make it hard for someone to get to know you, Rodney. You only talk about the SGC or the past you share with John and very little about that. It makes it tough to have a share a conversation, you know." Patrick leaned against the piano, arms crossed over his chest and one foot in front of the other.

Rodney only shook her head, muttering, "So you're the one he learned that from."

Patrick only smiled, he knew how good he looked in this position. It pleased him to hear his son emulated him, at least to some degree.

"Sheppard, never seems to have trouble with talking to me, "Rodney paused, "when he actually says anything at all."

"Why do you call John by his last name? There's more than one Sheppard in his house."

Rodney shrugged, "Not to me."

Patrick blinked at that, wondering what she meant. Rodney began picking on the piano again slowly and it wasn't long before she was playing something that sounded like Beethoven. He watched her for a few moments letting his eyes drift closed as the music washed over him.

***

John watched as his little sister straightened her shoulders and walked into kitchen.

"Did you just let Zoey go into the kitchen?" David asked, walking up to him.

"Yeah, why?"

David closed his eyes and muttered lowly, "Okay, you didn't know but Zoey is not allowed in there. Not after she blew up the oven."

John frowned, "She blew up the oven?"

David nodded, "We still don't know how she did it!"

Suddenly there was yelling in a mixture of French and Italian, then a female Italian accent rang out, " _Get out of my kitchen, Miss Sheppard. I like this oven!"_

***

Four days later John walked out of the pool to see Rodney sitting under a shaded lounge with the _Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy_ in her hands. Oh, he was so going to... She had no right to slam the **Back to the Future** trilogy if she reads... John sighed, he noticed that Adam Wright and his sister were standing close to the edge of the pool. Zoey was wearing a red one piece swim suit, dripping wet and angry expression towards Adam. John wondered why his dad approved of having someone who was barely older than Zoey at twenty-two, on the Sheppard's personal security team. But after seeing the kid in action when Zoey had almost kidnapped earlier in the week knew why. Adam was deadly in hand to hand combat and ruthless too. Wright hadn't stopped until Zoey was back home and the kidnappers were on the ground unconscious.

"...Stop trying to ditch the security team!" Adam shouted at Zoey.

" _You_ are my security team, Adam!"

"Not on my day off! There are others who can tale my place."

"I don't _want_ anyone else!"

_Christ, it sounded like the two were having a lovers spat,_ John thought.

Adam glanced at John when he walked by them over to McKay but turned back to Zoey when she said, "John explain to him that I don't need to ne watched twenty-four/seven. That I can go to the movies without-"

"You diched your security team for a _movie!_ " Adam yelled, _"Seriously?!"_

Rodney leaned over when John sat in a lounge chair next to her, "Don't get involved. I told her to her to take a team with and got a death glare. It was _odd_ being at the other end of one." Because Rodney was usually the one giving the death glares, then she when back to her book.

"People are trying to kidnap you, right?" John asked, ignoring the warning grunt Rodney made.

"Oh, really? That only happened, like, one time-"

"Three! It's happened _three_ _times_ in the last month, Zoey!" Adam told her, holding up three fingers in her face. Zoey pushed his hand way from her with a glare.

"Graham Pierce _doesn't_ count!"

_"Yes,_ he does!

_"No."_

_"Yes."_

 "Graham is my boyfriend." Zoey said flatly.

"He took you to a cabin in the woods!" Adam exclaimed.

"Yes, he did! and we were having some really great sex when you showed up, if I remember right?" Zoey began to grin at Adam's uncomfortable shifting, like a hyena, "I believe what Graham said-when you busted open the door and stood there watching-were ' _join in or leave?'_ And I think we both remembered which one you picked. I know Graham enjoyed fucking you as much as I did."

That was something John could have lived without knowing or hearing. He looked at McKay as she glanced up from her book, "Well, you can't fault her for taste, Sheppard, he's pretty."

"Really, McKay?" John groaned, "She's our sister. The last thing I want to about is her sex life. I'm pretty sure as far as we are concerned? We should be under the belief that she _doesn't_ have one-wait, did she just imply that she had threesome?"

"No, big bro, I stated it." Zoey said with a grin.

"We are not talking about that day."

"Day? Hell, it was the entire weekend."

"You-you are impossible!" Adam muttered to Zoey before looking at John, How am I suppose to keep her big brain and pretty face safe if she won't let me do my job?"

"I recommend a big gun and a leash," John said smirking at the squawk of outrage McKay gave, hitting John in the shoulder.

"Would that really work?" Adam asking like he was actually considering it.

"Yeah, that little bell on the collar? would always let you know were she is," John said laughing at the same look of outrage on Zoey's face that Rodney had.

"I recommend a towel, Blondie." McKay said going back to her book once more.

Adan frowned and started to ask, "Why-"just as Zoey pushed him hard, causing him to fall back into the pool with a splash. When Adam broke the surface of the water with a gasp, he watched as Zoey flipped her wet hair over her shoulder and walked away saying, "I have a date to get ready for."

Adam treaded water looking confused.

McKay turned a page of her book, "Moron."

John couldn't help laughing. 


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OC Reseambles  
> Graham Pierce-Daniel Radcliffe

If Graham Pierce said one more word, Rodney was going to kill the self-absorbed, arrogant-riddled with daddy issues, _oh, god,_ the daddy issues! Every other word out of this kid's mouth had been,

"Father says..."

"Father thinks..."

"Father knows..."

Rodney didn't think this kid had ever had an original thought in his entire life! Even if he was in Mensa which he mention several times. In act the only thing the kid had going for him was his thick wild black hair, glasses that hid bright green eyes and the beginning of a beard that would flatter the guy's looks when it came in all the way. Rodney was glad when Zoey came into the room. Though her little black dress could have been a bit longer in Rodney's opinion.

"I'm ready!"

" _Thank God,_ " McKay muttered under her breath.

Zoey glared, "I'm sure _Meredith_ was good company while you waited." Zoey only called Rodney, Meredith when she was annoyed with her.

"Oh, your sister doesn't say much but she's a good listener." Graham said inanely.

"Well, we should get going." Zoey said.

Graham turned to Zoey as they walked out of the room, "Perhaps we should as if Adam wants to go with us, instead of, you know, lurking in the background."

"Gray, sweetie, it's Adam's job to lurk in the background."

Graham gave a disappointed, "oh," as Zoey dragged him from the room.

~~

_**I drew the short straw.** _

_**No, they literally drew straws!** _

**Come on McKay, the kid's company couldn't have been that bad.**

_**I had brain cells die, Sheppard! Die! Listening to that kid.** _

~~

"...No, no," McKay said, cell phone to her ear as she walked into the library.

David Sheppard looked up from trying to catch up on some paperwork he could do from his personal computer for his job. Which wasn't really all that much.

"Come on Sam, it can be... really, don't you think you should just talk to-Well, maybe..." McKay paused looking angry, "You what, I'll just ask Daniel he is the only one who knows what I'm going through. And this game your playing with Daniel and O'Neill? You should stop-" McKay pulled the phone from her ear giving it such a look of rage that David was sure she'd throw it at the wall.

It surprised David when all she did was sigh and hit a button on the phone before putting in her pocket.

"Huh," David said aloud getting McKay's attention, "I was sure you would throw it."

"I would never treat technology like that. Not even crappy Earth technology. Sheppard's the one who would have thrown it at the wall. He can have a bit of a temper, you know."

"does it scare you?" David asked. He had lost more than one girlfriend over the fact he had the Sheppard temper. None of them had understood the slow burn that turned into a fiery rage when they were offend by something wrong. Murders, rapists and aliens that thought humans were food were in that category. "My brother's temper?"

McKay shook her head, "It's never been directed at me or the people under his command. So why should it? Sheppard used his rage was all that kept him going until they...well, I just hope he still has that anger because the Wraith are still in this reality and not almost extinct like they were in the old time line. I hope Carson can recreate-" McKay shook head, "and you can't be interested in any of this."

"Actual I could listen to you talk about John all day." David said and he really could have, because when McKay spoke about John there was hero-worship and clear affection in her voice. It was the way most people would speak of a personal hero or a mythic legend that they were more than a little in love with.

It was obvious to David that McKay was more than a little in love with his older brother. He was pretty sure John returned the feelings to some degree. What David didn't understand was why neither of the two of them hadn't acted on it. They had history and a deep friendship. David really couldn't judge. It had taken him almost five years to admit he was in love with Jean. Though David had known with in minutes of meeting Jean that he was going to spent the rest of his life with her, He watched McKay wondered over to a book shelf, walking her fingers along the spines of them.

"Just so you know," McKay said glancing at him, "Sheppard's brother or not? If you ever make Jeannie unhappy? I will _kill_ you. Your body will never be found on _this_ planet."

_That,_ David, _was no idle threat._ Someone with McKay's intelligence and resources could and would make good on it.

***

"...So, what's with you and McKay?" David, getting out of the pool, grabbing his towel from the end John's lounge chair and sitting on the edge of it. David had suggested that his brothers and father go for a late night swim. When McKay, Jeannie and Zoey began discussing the applications of quantum theory to space travel and something about folding hyperspace?

John sighed and sank deeper into the lounge chair. He was enjoying the light breeze and the bright stars he could see. For a moment he convinced himself he could see the constellations of stars that the Pegasus galaxy was in as he brought up his glass bottle of orange soda to his lips, taking a drink. Ryan was sitting with his feet in the pool and their dad was sitting in one of the other chairs.

"Yeah, I'd like to know too." Ryan said, "Like how in the world you scored some one like McKay? Smart and hot? Way above your paygrade, bro!"

John glared at him, "You do know she used to be a guy, right?"

"That just means she must give the most awesome blowjobs." Ryan said with a teasing grin, "She'd know just what a guy would like."

"I wouldn't know," John muttered closing his eyes, if he had to have this conversation he didn't want to have to look at his siblings. He had forgotten what pains in the ass they could be.

"Well, why don't you?"

And that? That had come from his loving and oh, so, respectful father.

" _Seriously, Dad!"_ John whined.

"Well, son, if your not bedding McKay, you shouldn't be surprised if some one else does."

John snorted, amused, "McKay would eat Ryan alive."

"Hey, Ryan could handle McKay, if he wanted too." David defended.

"No," John said shaking his head, "he really, really couldn't. Besides someone who is using the fact that Jeannie is pregnant in order to marry her rather than fessing up that he loves her? As no say in this.'

"John," David started but fell quiet at John's glare.

"And Ryan, if you are trying to keep your sister complex a secret? Your doing a bad job of it."

"I don't have a _sister complex,_ John."

John raised an eyebrow, "Really?"

Ryan sighed, "I'm gay, John."

"What does one have to do with the other?" John asked confused.

" _Christ,_ John." David muttered.

~~~

**No, I don't think my brother actually wants to sex with my sister!**

**I used sister complex in the way Ryan is overprotective- What? No!**

**You know what? Your an idiot. Why I'm I talking to you?**

_**That's what I've been saying this whole time, Sheppard.** _

**Shut up, Rodney!**

 


	10. Chapter 10

John walked back into the house with his brothers and father following, laughing. When they heard a sudden crash come from one of the front rooms and Mirabella, yelling. John exchanged a look with his father before hurrying to the room where the yelling was coming from. John was the first to enter the room, he saw Zoey sitting in the far corner looking shocked. Jeannie had a hand covering her own mouth looking upset. Mirabella's shoulder's were heaving and Rodney stood across the room from all of them surrounded by the remains of a shattered yellow ceramic vase, her arms crossed over her chest, looking down at the floor.

"What the hell happened here?" John asked, donning his ' _don't fuck with me'_ Colonel voice.

"I was clumsy," McKay mumbled, "I broke the vase."

At the surprised look on Mirabella's face, John knew that wasn't true, "You're usually a better lair than that, McKay..."he was slightly pissed because McKay wouldn't look at him but was still staring at the floor, "Look at me!"

McKay's head jerked up at John and he could see her eyes were bright with unshed tears. In that moment John wanted nothing more than to hurt his father's wife.

"Mom, threw the vase, John." Zoey said, curling up in Ryan's arms when he sat down next to her.

"she threw," John turned to look at the older woman, "you _threw_ the vase at McKay?!"

"Don't be stupid, dear." Mirabella said straightening, "I threw the vase at the _wall."_

"The wall that _McKay_ is standing in front of?" John asked pointing to it.

"Meredith said something that upset, Mother." Jeannie whispered, fists now clenched at her sides.

"What could she had possibly said that would deserve having a vase _thrown_ at her?" John snarled, walking over to McKay reaching out to her only to have McKay knock his hand away from her, as she glared weakly at John.

"Meredith implied that I left her and Jeannette in the hands of a child abuser. Robert McKay was an awful man in many ways, I'll admit," Mirabella said softly rubbing her wrists, "but he would never have laid hands on _his_ children. Robert adored Meredith and Jeannette!"

"How would you know, Mother?" McKay asked, her voice low and rough, "You weren't there for him to _hit_ anymore."

Mirabella gasped, "It wasn't like that! Robert slapped me a couple times, sure but it was nothing..."she trialed off at McKay's look, "He _adored_ you," she pleaded.

McKay turned away from them and pulled up the t-shirt she was wearing exposing he back. Rough, pale jagged lines, littered McKay's back, some were covered by her bra but the worst were clearly visible. "Dad was drinking one night and got angry ar Jeannie for something after you left us, Mother. I don't remember what about. He tried to hit her and I...I wouldn't let him." McKay stated raising her chin, "He took off his belt, that black leather one-he wore it all the time," Mirabella's face paled at the mention of the belt, "the buckle had a sharp edge, he was so drunk he never noticed or cared when I started screaming as it dug into my back every time he hit me with it."

_"Meredith,"_ Mirabella breathed out, "I didn't know...Robert loved you and Jeannette so much...I _never_ would have left you with him if I thought he..."

McKay shrugged. "Mother, do you remember when I was eighteen, you came to see me?"

Mirabella narrowed her eyes at McKay, "Yes, I believe you asked me ' _how much it would take for me to go away.' "_

"I had just made my first coupe of million off a design I sold the government. I hadn't had any contact with you since I was ten before then and the only thing you asked me was how you could get in contact with Jeannie, Not once did you ask about me! If I was happy or okay? You never once said you missed me! So, yes, at the time, all I wanted was for you to go away."

"I asked-"

"No," McKay said harshly, "You didn't."

"What can I do, Meredith?" Mirabella begged, "How can I make this better?"

"I don't know if you can," McKay said with a shake of her head, "I just don't know..." McKay pushed past John and walked out of the room. John followed her but topped at the foot of the stairs as she rushed up them. John knew the last thing McKay wanted was for anyone to see her cry.

McKay hated to cry.

John turned, ramming his fist into the wall, barely feeling the pain, he started to do it again when a hand closed around his wrist. John looked to see his father watching him in concern.

"John?"

"Why didn't I know? Why didn't Rodney _tell_ me?" John asked, his voice broken, "I should have known... McKay would flinch sometimes if some one yelled unexpectedly or fast motions would startle him. I should have _known,_ Dad."

"I know, I _know,_ John." Patrick said his own voice boarding on the same tone as John's, "It took me years, _years,_ to figure it out about my Bella. It's why I never pushed too hard about her past. I should have, though, I should have pushed and maybe I could have gotten Jeannette and Rodney away from that bastard for her."

"Did she really believe that Robert McKay would never hurt them?" John asked, knowing that his father would tell him the truth and John would believe him.

"Yes, John, I really think she did."

_"Why?"_

"Because she had too."

John gave his father a long look before he pulled away from his father's touch, he went up the stairs. When he got to his room he cursed under his breath at the sight of Rodney sobbing on the bed. John crawled onto the bed and curled a n arm around her. McKay fought him for a moment before she turned over and grabbed John's shirt in her hand tightly as she continued to cry, before falling into an exhausted sleep.

It wasn't long after that, that the heat from McKay's body curled up around him lulled John into a slightly more fitful sleep.

***

Over the next week Rodney spent a lot of time trying to avoid her mother...and failing. Rodney spent the time yelling and being yelled at more times than not/Jeannie being the brat she was had to add in her two cents and more yelling happened. Which led to Rodney hiding in the bedroom she shared with Sheppard, mostly curled up in his arms trying not to cry. _Ugg, feelings,_ Rodney hated them! He wouldn't say things were better between himself and his mother...but he thought they might get there.

Sheppard spent a lot of time in his father's study. The sounds of heavy objects hitting the wall and shouting whenever his father or brothers were in there with him. Afterward Sheppard would come out with whoever he had been in there with looking if not happier, at least content.

~~

**Not fucking talking about it.**

_**Yeah, what McKay said.** _

~~~

 

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

A few nights later, John Rodney and their siblings were sitting in the family room, each of them taking turns playing on the xbox. Mirabella was reading a book in the corner, Patrick came into the room carrying a black acoustic guitar, "Look what I found!"

"Where did you get that?" John asked amazed, the guitar belonged to John when he was younger. He was amazed at the good condition the instrument was in.

"Truthfully?" Patrick said handing the guitar to John," The closet of my study. I couldn't let it go into storage or the attic."

"Do you play, John?" Zoey asked.

"A little," John admitted. He actually played better now than he had at this time in the old timeline. Twenty years of practice during down time on Atlantis had to have been good for something.

"Oh, please play something!" Zoey requested, clapping her hands excitedly. John began to finger the strings of the guitar until the cords he choose made up a familiar tune,

"Really, Sheppard," McKay asked rolling her eyes knowing the tune.

John Shrugged,"What? It's the only song I know all the words too- _I keep a close watch on this heart of mine,"_

"Seriously?" McKay muttered,

" _I keep my eyes wide open all the time,"_

But Rodney had to admit John had a very smooth, if unpracticed voice, and he could carry a tune well.

" _I keep the end out for the ties that bind,"_ John gave Rodney a shy look, as he sang low and sultry, " _because **you're mine** , I walk the line..."_

Rodney looked away, not uncomfortable, like she was sure it seemed but unsure if Sheppard meant what he was implying or if it was another of the man's teases. Like the walking around half dressed that he subjected her too? It was hard to tell sometimes since the man never talked about _uggh, feelings._

" _You've got a way to keep me at your side,"_ John's look turned intense and Rodney lost her breath for a moment, " _ **For you,** I'd turn the tide..."_ because he had looked at her like that a few times in the old timeline and she was never quite sure what it meant, " _because **you're mine** , I walk the line..."_

John's voice trailed off slowly, Rodney blinked at the look on John's face, dark intent and... _hopeful?_ No. No, Rodney couldn't...not yet, she, _he_ had too...Rodney stood up abruptly and left the room at a pace that was not quite a terrified run.

"What just happened?" Zoey whispered to Ryan cause it looked to her that something important was about to happen between John and her sister. Ryan shrugged looking just as confused as Zoey.

John closed his eyes muttering, "Moved to fast..."

"Somehow I think glaciers are moving faster than you and Mer are, John." Jeannie said getting up and following after her older bro- _sister_.

***

"...Mer, open the door!"

Rodney sat on the floor leaning against the door of the bedroom she shared with Joh- _Sheppard, it's Sheppard I have to remember that!_ Rodney thought, her knees drawn up to her chest with her arms around them, "No." She didn't want to hear whatever opinion Jeannie had about Rodney's relationship with Joh- _Sheppard!_

"I just want to talk to you."

"I don't," Rodney said flatly. _Why couldn't Jeannie just go away?_

"You should have seen his expression, Mer."

" _Don't."_ Rodney hissed, as things in the room began to rattle and shake, items on the bed side table floated a few inches above it. She didn't want to hear how upset Joh- _Sheppard_ was, Rodney closed her eyes taking a deep calming breath. the floating items returned to their spots and the rattling ones stopped as suddenly it had began.

"It was a step away from a broken heart as I have ever seen."

"Liar," Rodney muttered, she heard a sigh come from behind the door,

"Time Travel is a second chance, Mer. Those don't happen too often," Jeannie paused, "not unless you get stuck in a time loop."

Rodney's head jerked up at that, hearing those words...she slowly stood up and opened the door. Jeannie looked surprised that Meredith had actually opened the door. "Don't just stand there," Meredith told her, before walking over and collapsing onto the bed.

Jeannie went over and sat on the edge of the bed, "What are you scared of, Mer?"

"What makes you think I'm scared?"

"If you weren't?" Jeannie said, harshly, "you would have kissed John Sheppard after the man got through serenading his heart out to you instead of running like a coward."

Rodney couldn't stop the flinch that ran through his whole body. Because that was what had happened. Rodney thought he had over come that trait. That he wasn't that person anymore. The one that thought of only himself. He had spent twenty years trying to prove to John and...ultimately himself that he wasn't the _coward_ everyone had thought he was and what did Rodney do in the face of John's bravery? And yes, John had been very brace tonight...

Run.

That's what Rodney had done, "I...I can't _lose_ him, Jeannie," it came out as a whisper.

Jeannie frowned, "Do you think not having him is a better option?"

Rodney shrugged, "I'll have his friendship."

"But will that be enough when you are old and alone?"

"It was the first time,"

_"Oh, Mer,"_ Jeannie said, amazed, "You _love_ him!"

Rodney sat up, irritated, "Of course, Jeannie! I have for _twenty goddamned years!!!"_ Rodney wondered why it was so easy to admit it to Jeannie but so hard to do so to herself or the one that mattered most to her?

"I've watched as Sheppard flirted with alien princesses, priestesses, female pirates, ancient cities and space ships! I watched as he put his life in danger time and time again to save this worthless planet from total destruction for nothing more than a pat on the back if he was lucky! I've watched as he got passed over for promotion more than once. I plotted with him to take Atlantis back to Pegasus when Erath's governments wanted to keep it here! I've walked through my worst fears _for_ him. Why would I do any of those things if I didn't lo-lo- "Rodney stopped to catch her breath, "There isn't a word in any language that expresses what I _feel_ for John Sheppard.

Not on this world, anyway."

"But is there a word?" Jeannie asked.

Rodney nodded, her face taking on a vague expression as if remembering something long forgotten, "Yes, in Alteran... _L'ay'th."_

"That's pretty," Jeannie said rolling the alien word around through her head, "What does it mean?'

"Friend, lover, soul mate, even enemy," Rodney blinked, focusing on Jeannie, " depending on the inflection or how it's used in a sentence."

"An how would you use it?"

"It would depend on how I felt at the moment," Rodney muttered.

"As John been your enemy?" Jeannie wondered not being able to imagine that.

Rodney shrugged, "I've known his for more years than I care to remember, of course he's been my enemy. Maybe not in the 'kill you in your sleep or stab you when you turn your back' kind but he as cause me more problems than given me solutions."

"And if he were to disappear as if he never existed..."Jeannie trailed off at the smirk on Rodney's face.

"Why Jeannie I'd simply..."

***

"...reorder time and tear the fabric of the universe asunder," John answered the question his father asked as they stood on the patio looking up at the star filled sky. "McKay did it a couple times before... Forty-eight thousand years, once. He spent his whole life trying to find a way to save mine. I'm still not sure how that worked. Rodney said that wasn't _him-_ him that did it but - _a him-_ it still confuses me. All I know is what _McKay_ did and what he sacrificed for me. Some times I wonder if I'll ever be able to pay McKay back for the things he has done for me. If I'll ever _become_ the man Rodney sees when he looks at me..."

"What do you think Rodney sees?" Patrick asked quietly.

"Captain Kirk, Han Solo, Starbuck...a hero." John sighed, "I'm no hero, Dad. I'm just a man that saw a need, a wrong...people were dying and I woke the things up that were killing them."

Patrick nodded, he had heard about John's misplaced guilt about the Wraith, he knew nothing he said would change John's mind on that subject. So he asked, "Do you love Rodney, John?"

John looked away from the sky to the ground. It was the question he had always avoided asking himself. Because he already knew the answer. It was liking asking if a human need air to breathe? "I knew from the moment I saw his blue eyes," _the color of the ocean John loved to surf in, the color of the skies he loved to fly in, the color of the star gate he loved to travel through, "_ twenty years ago I knew I wanted nothing more than to have McKay by my side."

"Why wait so long John?"

john shrugged. There were reasons or more like excuses, "DADT was a big part of it. I knew I couldn't have Atlantis and McKay. It just wasn't possible...and by the time it was? It was too late. Rodney was in a relationship for a long time and when it finally tanked...He was in no frame of mind to start another. I thought I had time," John laughed harshly. "What I did was let time _pass by._ When I gathered up my courage...Everything ended. And I found myself back at the beginning...without McKay. That was the worst three months of my life." John didn't want to admit it had taken that long to even get the courage to start looking for McKay in this timeline.

Patrick wondered what it would be like to find himself like his son had. Having lived his life only to have it all gone in a moment? To wake up having to start all over again? wondering what he would change? The friendships and loves he would keep or let pass by him?

There were parts of his son's life that Patrick did not envy at all.

***

That was the first of _many_ nights John didn't share a room with Rodney.

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I stoles some scientists.  
> Didn't want to make up a bunch of OC's.  
> so if you think you know a name...yeah.  
> Oc reseamble  
> Emily Blanchard-Michele Pfeiffer

Rodney didn't know much about fashion as she stared at the hideous yellow-gold off the shoulder dress, Zoey was wearing. Rodney did know ugly when she saw it. And that dress? _Fugly._ Rodney shook her head at her youngest sister as Zoey stood in the dressing room's door way, showing off the ugly dress with a pleased grin. Rodney wondered once more how Jeannie had convinced her to come dress shopping with her, Zoey and their mother for the Sheppard Company Gala. Rodney had planned on wearing a very nice black and red pants suit she had been saving or a special occaication. Rodney got voted on it by the women of the family as well as by Sheppard himself. It mostly had something to do with the fact that Evan Lorne got to see Rodney in a dress and Sheppard hadn't. Sometimes Rodney just didn't get Sheppard's thought process.

Rodney smothered a laugh when her mother said,

"Zoey, dear, why don't you try on the green dress Jeannette picked out for you?"

"I don't think green's really my col-" Zoey started to say while Rodney and Jeannie exchanged a look. There was no way they were letting Zoey walk out of the store with that...that...thing!

" **DO IT!** " Both Rodney and Jeannie snapped at Zoey.

Zoey gave them a mulish look shouting back, "Fine," at them before going back into the dressing room and pulling back the curtain with a flick of her wrist.

"I swear I don't know where the girl gets her fashion sense from." Mirabella said with a sigh.

"Blame the Shepard genes, Mom. It David didn't have to wear suits to work? He's just wear sweat pants all the time." Jeannie said with a laugh.

Rodney nodded, "Or one of those weird retro eighties track suits, the ones with the white strip down the sides of it."

Jeannie's eyes widened, "Don't tell me John has one of those?"

Rodney smirked, "Not anymore."

Mirabella shook her head, "Come Meredith, lets go find you a dress." She led Rodney over to a rack of dresses, "I worry about Zoey. I fear the stress of these last few months haven't been easy for her. With the release of her paper and the kidnapping attempts...but it's been her ex-lab partner that has been the most worrisome problem."

"That would be Carlos Jensen, right?"

Mirabella nodded. Carloe Jensen was a very smart, very rich young man that had made romatic attempts towards Zoey only to be shot down by the girl. The last to kidnapping attempts had been traced back to Carlos's father, Anderson Jensen. He was in jail, trail pending. As for Carlos himself? He had alibis for where he was at and what he was doing.

"Are you really sure I can't-"Rodney to say only to jump when Jeannie came up behind her saying,

"A dress for the Gala, Mer. I'll let you wear that pants suit at my wedding, okay?"

Rodney shrugged as she flipped through the rack of different shades of scarlet dresses with disinterest. He was here, wasn't that enough? He didn't get why women enjoyed this...looking at clothes, shoes and stuff. Wandering the store for hours on end. Spending loads of money for things they might wear once? Made no sense what so ever. Rodney watched as Jeannie went to sit in a chair by the dressing rooms. His sister seemed more tired lately, too pale sometimes. He wondered if Jeannie was pregnant?

"Do I have to really attend..."Rodney muttered because truthfully she saw no point to it.

"Oh, no if I have to suffer through the Gala? So, does _everyone_ else." Mirabella said roughly putting a purple dress back on the rack, "Besides," looking passed Rodney, "that is the dress you need to wear to the Gala."

Rodney turned humoring her mother to look at the _dress...oh,_ taking the length and the color and _was that..."Huh,_ that is my dress," walking over to take a closer look at it.

***

The night of the Gala found John pacing the floor holding a jewelry box, muttering to himself. This was a bad idea, he and McKay hadn't said much to each other since he stopped sleeping in the room as her. He only hoped that Mirabella was right about how McKay would react to the jewelry. John watched his step-mother tug on the long sleeves of her floor length black dress, it sparkled subtly in the light and flattered her very much. She was standing next to his father waiting for the others to come down, his father had on a black tux. Ryan leaned against the wall in his white dress uniform looking as uncomfortable as John felt in his own dress blues. Zoey came down the stairs in a short strapless, glittering green dress and matching heels. Ryan pushed off the wall asking,

"Where is the rest of it?"

"The rest of what?" Zoey asked looking confused.

Ryan waved a hand at her, "Your dress!"

"Asshole!" Zoey snapped, "There is nothing wrong with my dress!" She looked at John, "Tell him there is nothing wrong with it!"

John rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, "Well, there could be more of it?"

"Leave Zoey alone," Jeannie said coming down the stairs in a form hugging crimson floor length dress with thin straps that  criss-crossed over her shoulders. Jeannie had styled her blonde hair like the starlets of the forties use too. David followed her wearing a dark blue suit with a dress shirt the same color as Jeannie's dress, "she looks fine."

"Where is McKay?" John whined, "It never takes-" a sound from the stairs cut him off, when he turned to look he saw- his mouth dropped open slightly, at the sight of a blue velvet high heeled shoe, followed by a bare well shaped calf, and more blue velvet as McKay walked slowly down the stairs. The dress she was wearing was a dark royal blue, floor length with a slit on one side. When she reached the bottom of the stairs John could see the glittery silver shoulder strap along the back of her shoulders that held up her dress as well as the decorating pieces of shiny stones on the train. Her hair was in an upswept style with her curls falling over her shoulder to one side.

"Is that the Pegasus constellation?" John asked about the design on the train of the dress.

McKay nodded, grinning brightly at John, "It turns the dress into something special, huh?"

John looked away from McKay to the box in his hands, I think I have something that will make it perfect."

McKay glanced at the box, "What's that?"

"Something that belonged to my mother," John said opening the box to reveal a diamond and sapphire lace choker necklace, with a larger sapphire stone set in the middle of it. "Will you wear it?" John did wonder if perhaps he was asking too much? Just because McKay was in a dress with her hair styled and wearing light touches of make-up didn't mean _Rodney_ would want to wear jewelry. He knew Rodney had a hard time dealing with the trappings that come with his female form and that the smallest thing could cause Rodney to tailspin emotionally. John tried very hard not to treat Rodney as a man or a woman but simply as _Rodney._ John wasn't always good at that though.

McKay gave John a quick nod and John took the necklace out of the box. He set the box on a nearby side table before gently putting the necklace on McKay. "Beautiful," he breathed against McKay's neck. She glanced over her shoulder at him with those wide blue eyes...

"We should get going," Patrick said. Breaking the tension that was growing between John and McKay.

***

The Sheppard Industries Company Gala was the premiere event in Charleston. Business men, women and scientists from all over the world were in attendance. Rodney hated events like this. Mostly because it reminded him of the event that happened after he presented a paper in front of his peers.

General O'Neill had arrived with Major Carter, she was wearing a short little black dress with a white flared skirt and silver belt around her waist. O'Neill also had Daniel Jackson in tow, she was wearing a black and white toga style dress that hugged very curve flatteringly. They were here at the behest of the American government. The contracts Patrick Sheppard wanted to get was for the rights to build the next generation of 302's- Rodney was sure Patrick was going to get it. Now that the man knew about the Star Gate Program.

The cover story the government had released for both Rodney and Daniel Jackson's peers was that they had gender reassignment surgery, were it became obvious they were not going to turn back into men anytime soon. The SGC also knew that while the two could disappear from their fields for years at a time? Sooner or later someone would come looking for them. As it was both Rodney and Daniel got a few looks from the scientists they knew, as well as the odd compliment or two. Still things like the Gala brought out the worst sorts,

"...your mind?"

"Don't worry, Richard." Rodney said taking a glass from a tray being held by a waiter, "I'm of sound mind and my dick is still bigger than your," she finished by taking a drink from her glass, amused when the man huffed and walked away. Rodney will admit during his career he had been/was an asshole but Rodney's assholery was never in the same range as Richard Reed's. Rodney feared the day when he heard that one of Reed's experiments killed him or gave the man superpowers.

"Now I know you are Rodney McKay," a short haired woman said laughing, Susan Storm was just how Rodney liked his female scientists. Pretty, blonde and could kick his ass.

~~

_**Yes, when it comes to women I have a type, okay?** _

_**Quit pouting Sheppard. You were still the prettiest one at the ball.** _

~~

"...Only you could ever put Richard in his place like that."

Rodney shrugged, "He's still upset that I'm smarter than him. What the hell do you see in him?"

Susan sighed, "Lately? I'm not sure. Oh, there's the Parkers with Harry Osborne."

"Not talking to Osborne," Rodney muttered because there was something wrong with Harry Osborne Sr. The man was insane Rodney was sure of it. Susan smiled and walked over to the Parkers. Not long after that the small group was joined by Dr. Bruce Banner. Rodney had heard rumors that Bruce was involved with gamma ray technology in a project being ran by General Thaddeus Ross.

"...No, I have no idea where Radek Zelenka is." Rodney told Victor Von Doom, coldly. Rodney had known when he had helped Radek escape Letveria, ten years ago, that the ruler would be upset at losing one of the best minds of his generation to the U.S. Rodney let out a sigh of relief when the man left. People with diplomatic immunity and laboratories made Rodney nervous.Then came the highlight of Rodney's night a drunk Tony Stark...enough said. Not that Rodney ever remembered dealing with a sober one.

When Rodney found Sheppard? She was going to have words with the man for abandoning her to this... Luckily, Stark's beautiful strawberry blonde PA came and dragged the man way before Rodney punched Tony in the face for lerring at her breasts. Even id Rodney had been using them to distract the man. He didn't have to stare like that.

"That was one of the most excellent uses of cleavage distraction I've seen in years,"

Rodney turned to see an older woman with silver blonde hair, about her mother's age, the woman had a beauty mark on her well defined chin. Green eyes and a thin nose as if she had plastic surgery in her youth. She walked up and hooked her arm around Rodney's leading her deeper into the crushing crowd of the Gala,

"Woman have grown so timid in the use of their female wiles. I've known far too many who are so afraid to use what the creator has given them. We were given breasts because-they turn men into fools-we should use them for that purpose!"

Rodney giggled, "I had to distract Stark somehow and I didn't have any Rum."

"You came with the Sheppard's I think?"

Rodney nodded and introduced her herself and the other woman did the same with,

"Emily Blanchard," the woman looked as if she was going to say something more when,

"Meredith!" Mirabella's voice rang out over the crowd. Rodney watched as her mother glided up to them.

"Mother," Rodney sighed out, gently pulling away from Emily.

_"Mother?"_ Emily asked giving Mirabella a shocked look, "I thought Zoey was your only child, Mrs. Sheppard?"

"I know you like to think yourself  an authority on everyone in Charleston society, Mrs. Blanchard but not in this, you aren't. Meredith and her sister Jeannette are from my first marriage." Mirabella said through gritted teeth.

"Well, what a secret keeper you are," Emily purred, like a cat with cream, "One wonders what Patrick thinks of you having children come out of the woodworks after being married so long?"

"He would say," Patrick Sheppard said, walking up besides Mirabella, smiling at Emily, "that you should not concern yourself with affairs not your own."

"Oh. Patrick, how dull life would be if I did that!"

"Really, Em, leave Bella alone. She is stressed out enough planning David and Jeannette's wedding. Having Rodney and John... John's a Colonel in the Air Force now..."Patrick's voice was full of pride as he talked about John.

"I had heard, your oldest had returned to the roost. Tell me, Patrick did the boy grow up to be as handsome as you?" Emily said batting her eyelashes at him, before giving Mirabella a slyly look as she said, "It must be so odd to find out one of your sons is marrying the daughter of your wife?"

Mirabella only pressed her lips together unhappily as Patrick sucked in a breath at what the woman was trying to implicate.

"Is it?" Rodney asked, eyes wide and innocent, "I've been sleeping with Colonel Sheppard for months now. We like to keep such things in the family."

Patrick choked on a laugh at the look on the blonde woman's face before he escaped to talk to General O'Neill. Rodney took her mother's arm leading her away from Emily. The look on the blonde woman's face was _so worth_ the trouble that was to come from Rodney's comment.

"I just created a shit storm, didn't I?" Rodney asked her mother.

Mirabella sighed, "Emily likes to cause drama and flirt with Patrick but..." she stopped at Rodney's meaningful look, "Yes, okay, fine! She's horrid! She'll stir up the gossips for a few weeks then something better will come along to talk about."

"Are you sure," Rodney asked looking unsure.

Mirabella smiled a shark's smile, "I can handle, Emily, I've been doing it for years. I just have to point her in the direction of husband number eight."

"Eight?!"

 


	13. Chapter 13

Rodney stopped when she heard Daniel's voice,

"Why did you even ask me to come?" The sandy blonde haired woman asked General O'Neill.

"Your the one that wanted to spent time with me before you returned to the Outpost." The general's voice was low, almost a whisper, "This shindig has been on my schedule for weeks now, Daniel."

"No. No, Jack, why did you ask me to come with you, if your going to spent the entire night trailing after Sam!"

"Danny, this is Carter's peer group. She's in her element-"

If the admiration in O'Neill voice was plain to Rodney? It was super clear to Daniel.

"I see," Daniel muttered, shaking her head, wisps falling into her eyes," It's better to have a real scientist by your side than a _charlatan?"_

"That's not what I said-"

"You didn't have too, Jack," Daniel grabbed a glass from a passing waiter, "Why don't you go find Sam?"

O'Neill narrowed his eyes at Daniel. "Why don't I," he said walking away from Daniel.

Daniel glared at O'Neill's back as he went. Daniel downed the entire glass of wine in one go looking upset. Rodney felt sorry for Daniel. It was hard to be right and have no one believe you. Rodney had been on short list for the Nobel since he was in his early twenties. If Rodney could have told people what she knew about the Star Gate Program he would have won a Nobel at least six times over by now.

Rodney walked to the dinner area, she saw Zoey sitting at a table with at least three different plates of food in front of her. Rodney walked over to her and sat down next to her stealing a deviled egg.

"The Parents know how to throw a party," Zoey said before frowning, "Gods I'm about ready to kill Gray's father. That man is horrible, Rodney! I mean he left Gray and his mother when Gray was five..."

 _And that explained the daddy issues,_ Rodney thought.

"Then he tells Gray that he's not smart enough to work at his company! Graham has two PhD's!"

"Really?"

Zoey nodded, "Chemistry and Engineering. Graham's father really needs to pull his head from his ass."

_"McKay?"_

Rodney turned to see Dr. Malcolm Tunney, he was a slightly chubby graying blonde haired man in his mid-thirties. Jennifer Keller was on his arm, wearing what looked like a cotton candy pink prom dress. Rodney took a deep breath because that who she had left him for in the other time line. Though Rodney could think of two people who deserved each other more?

"I'd hear the rumors that you went and became girl," Tunney grinned smarmily, his brown eyes were cold, "The look suits you," at Rodney's bland look. "You really should come work for me. I know how hard it is for female scientist to-"

"Hard for us to what?" Sam Carter asked appearing behind Tunney causing the man to jump.

"I'd be care how you answered that." O'Neill said walking up to them.

"It's not nice to poach," Carter stated, "Dr. McKay is perfectly happy as a consultant for the government, aren't you, Rodney?"

Before Rodney could answer,

"There you are, McKay," John Sheppard walked up to the table, "Come dance with me."

Rodney raised an eyebrow, "You really want to show off you dorky dance moves?"

John frowned, "I'm not that bad of a dancer, McKay."

"I never said you were bad," Rodney said standing up, smoothing out her skirt, "just _dorky."_

"McKay, you never answered me, "Tunney said.

"And you are?" John said in his most snobbish West Virginia accent.

"Dr. Malcolm Tunney, Co-owner of Kramer Innovations Inc."

John smirked, "Lt. Colonel John Sheppard."

Tunney frowned, "Are you related to Patrick Sheppard?"

"My father."

Tunney look disappointed as he said, "McKay is never going to come work for me, huh?"

John shook his head and Rodney snorted, "Even if you weren't a moron? I still wouldn't work for someone who makes weapons."

"So does the government!" Tunney defended.

"You take private weapons contracts, Malcolm. So it is never going to happen," Rodney turned to John, "You asked me to dance?" Malcolm Tunney huffed and dragged Jennifer Keller with him as he stomped off.

John led Rodney over to the dance floor.

"My sibs are so cool!" Zoey said, brightly, "Ooh, I have to tell Gray about this!" Zoey bounced up from the table and headed into a crush of people.

"So, Jack," Carter said sliding up to him, "are you going to follow Sheppard's example and ask me to dance?"

O'Neill got a hunted look on his face, "I should find Danny-"

Sam put a hand on Jack's arm, "One dance, Jack."

"Yah, okay." O'Neill sighed.

***

" _...the way your eyes look into mine, I like your smile, I like the way you watch when I walk way...Say you'll stay..."_ The low titling melody of a piano played as a singer sung low and sultry to the crows. John pulled McKay into his arms.

"If I fall and break my ankle because of this..." Rodney muttered as a small smirk came to John's lips,

"You won't fall," he said leading toward the middle of the dance floor.

"I could never do this _forwards,_ now you want me to do it _backwards?"_

"You can lead if you want," John said pulling her closer to him causing McKay to squeak,

"I think-"

"Rodney,"" John whispered into her ear, "trust me."

McKay settled more comfortable into his arms as they swayed to the music.

***

Zoey was still looking for Gray, she had stopped to ask Adam if he had seen him but he hadn't saying he would look for him. When she bumped into a young Hispanic man, she was surprised to see, "Carlos? What are you doing here?"

Zoey's eyes widened when she saw the gun in his hand.

***

_"...I like how you don't expect anything from me, you surprise me daily through and through...how you listen to what I say...say, you'll stay..."_

The romantic music made Rodney feel a little light headed, with the feeling of Sheppard's arms around her. Rdoney didn't feel like a girl at the prom, she didn't, okay? But Rodney couldn't deny it was a nice to have Sheppard so close...

"Hey, McKay," Sheppard whispered into her ear, Rodney hummed, Sheppard pulled back his lips, his breath caressing Rodney's cheek, softly. "I-" _Gunshots_ broke the spell between them, causing the crowd of people started to scream and panic. Sheppard jerked back looking for whoever had the gun, "Those were..."

"Gunshots." Rodney stated. It wasn't a sound she could never forget.

"Come on," Sheppard said pulling Rodney from the dance floor, pushing through the crowd, looking for their family. It wasn't long before they found Patrick, Mirabella, David and Jeannie.

"We can't find Ryan or Zoey," Patrick said, slight panic colored his voice.

"DAD!!!" Ryan's scream came over the crowd. Sheppard turned and ran towards it. It wasn't long before they came upon the scene.

Ryan held Zoey, she looked dazed from pain, crimson stained her green dress as blood gushed from a wound on her stomach. Graham Pierce had his jacket wadded up, he was holding it to the wound to stop the bleeding. Adam Wright had a young Hispanic man pinned to the ground, a gun lay a couple feet away. O'Neill was on a cell phone and Carter-

"Go find Keller," Rodney told her, "She's with Tunney."

Carter nodded running off to get Keller.

"The bleeding--"Graham panicked," why isn't it stopping?"

Ryan exchanged a look with John, they both knew this wasn't good. They had both see wounds like this... Zoey reached up and touched Ryan's cheek, frowning, "Ry? I'm cold..." her eyes falling closed.

Ryan closed his eyes, knowing that wasn't a good sign, grabbing her hand. Don't talk. Everything will be okay, Zo." Ryan lied.

Rodney dropped down to her knees by her sister's side, "John? I...think I can..."she looked at him.

John's eyes widened, of course, Rodney could-

"What do you need?"

"Energy, power..."McKay said, vaguely, _Daniel,_ she thought, _DANIEL,_ she screamed mentally. "Daniel."

Daniel Jackson pushed and shoved her way through the crowd until she was next to Rodney, "I'm here. What do you need?"

"Help me? Lend strength?" Because while Rodney could heal Zoey, (as she had Radek in the other timeline, she didn't know if could do it on her own, like she had then) she needed help.

"Take what you need." Daniel said setting her hands on Rodney's shoulder. Rodney closed her eyes, drawing up on the alien power she could always feel just beneath her skin since he and Daniel had been changed by Ancient device.

Ryan watched in amazement as Rodney's hands began to glow white, it slowly surrounded Rodney, Zoey and the woman called Daniel. Zoey gasped suddenly opening her eyes the blue of irises glowed like the heart of a flame, before they fell closed again.

Graham frowned as he gently pulled the jacket away from Zoey's wound to look at Zoey's older brother, the Colonel. Amazement had the sight of healed skin where the gapping wound use to be. The light surrounding Rodney and Daniel got brighter, when Daniel screamed before she was thrown back from McKay by a wave of power.

Jack caught Daniel before she hit the ground. Daniel shuddered at his touch, face going pale, "I cou-couldn't ho-hold h-her, "Sh-she's to-too pow-pow-powerful," she looked up at Jack, "I tried, Jack," she clutched at his jacket, "but I cou-couldn't! Rodney opened herself to it! To all of that _power!_ She's going to _ascend!"_

McKay, John could see, was staring as if in rapture at the ceiling. Through the glass skylight, at the stars above them. _Ascension_. John had always feared he would lose McKay to that. He almost had in the timeline. He knew why too. _Answers._ Answers to and about the universe, all of it was laid out before McKay. The temptation would be too strong for Rodney to resist, John knew.

But what John also knew was that McKay wasn't _leaving_ him.

"McKay?" John asked moving in front of McKay when Ryan and Graham moved Zoey away from them.

"It's so _beautiful,_ John!" McKay whispered in awe, her skin becoming more luminescence, a hand reaching out to the night sky, "I wish you could see it."

"Rodney? Stay here... We have things-" John choked, his emotions getting the better of him, "Places to go...we're so close to going home. _Don't leave!"_

McKay focused on John's face for the first time, a panicked look coming over her face, "I-I don't think I have a choice in this..."

John grabbed McKay by the upper arms, "You have a choice. Don't. You. Leave. Me!"

McKay's face went disturbingly blank as she looks back up at the night sky, the glow about her now reminding John of the half ascended stat that he had seen other in before...

"You are not leaving me," John muttered grimly, "not like this," he shook her but got response. He moved his hands from her arms to cup her face, "Not like _this,"_ he repeated as he pressed his lips against Rodney's. John let every thought, every memory, every feeling he had for McKay pass through his mind. Everything he was or hoped to be, he let her _see,_ if she looked. Then John felt it, an emotion not his own, _intrigued._ A familiar mental presence flowed through John's mind. It had been a long time since he had felt that...felt _McKay_ in his mind. But he had _never_ forgot the feeling of it.

 _Don't leave me,_ John begged McKay desperately, before he broke the kiss. He pulled back to stare into McKay's shocked blue gaze. The glow of her skin fading rapidly until it was it's normal color.

"No, _never,_ John I-" McKay began but stopped when she suddenly passed out, John catching her, pulling her close to him as the sounds of sirens could be heard in the distance.

***

John sighed as he closed the door to his quarters. He flinched at the finality of the sound. General O'Neill had ordered John and McKay to return to the Mountain immediately. O'Neill claimed that Zoey needed to be looked over by the SGC doctors to make sure that McKay's healing of her hadn't harmed Zoey or changed her in anyway. John knew it was only an accuse to get Zoey to the mountain and out of the public's eye. Zoey coming to the SGC was a foregone conclusion. O'Neill had also ordered Ryan to the SGC as well. The results of the DNA test had confirmed that Ryan had the ATA gene. Ryan's SEAL team would be reporting to the Mountain within the week. Zoey and Ryan were sharing the VIP quarters tonight until more permanent ones could be sorted out for them.

"Sheppard?" McKay asked, softly.

John rounded on her, grabbing her by the shoulders and shoving her up against the door, claiming McKay's lips in a heated kiss. McKay whined, threading her fingers through John's hair, pulling him closer to her. After a few moments John pulled back panting for breath as he sank to his knees in front of McKay. Slipping a hand up the slit of her blue velvet dress, pushing it up, his hands skimming up her thighs and around her hips roughly trying to get the skirt of the dress out of his way.

John barked out a laugh at what he found, "Really? Rodney? You wore boxers under your dress?" The underwear was almost the same shade of blue as her dress.

Rodney huffed, "What? There're comfortable," then more slyly, "besides you _like_ how I look in boxers."

John blinked realizing that McKay had been wearing the damn things on purpose the whole time! "You tease."

Rodney frowned at him, "I'd only be so if I wasn't going to follow through."

John tugged on the legs of the boxers pulling them down McKay's thighs, "Are you?" He asked looked up at Rodney the boxers hit the floor at McKay's feet. "Going to follow through?" He asked leaning close, making Rodney spread her legs apart when John's hands came back up to her thighs, so she could feel his warm breath hovering over her pussy. Rodney sucked in a breath, eyes going wide.

John buried his face between her legs, burying his tongue as deep as he could get it to go, making Rodney gasp as he stroked his tongue against the walls of her pussy, the touch coaching Rodney to spread her legs wider causing John to shove his tongue in deeper.

Rodney's grip on John's thick black hair tightened as she moaned with pleasure.

***

Jack O'Neill ducked the laptop that was thrown at his head. He had been in his office minding his own business, trying to conceal what had happened at the Sheppard Gala from the masses. At least the SGC got a new scientist and a Navy SEAL team out of it.

Jack backed away from the furious sandy haired blonde woman.

"Did you think I wouldn't see it, Jack! That I wouldn't _know?"_ Daniel yelled, "I could see everything in your mind in those moments when you touched me after I helped Rodney save his sister!"

"Danny..."

"No, you don't get to _Danny_ me, Jack! How long have you been sleeping with _Sam!"_ Daniel demanded, then softer, more hurt asked, "Why didn't you _tell_ me?"

***

"You know, we're not going to be allowed to go to David and Jeanette's wedding." Ryan said, his head in Zoey lap. Both of them were dressed in PJ's as they sprawled on the king sized bed. "It would be too dangerous after what happened."

Zoey ran her finger's through her brother's hair, she needed to connect to family. Touching Ryan was making her feel better...like she was _real._ That she still existed, "I know. Doesn't mean I can't be upset about it. I didn't even get yto say goodbye to Adam or Graham."

Ryan snorted. _Those two..._ He sat up and looked at his sister, "You're my best friend, you know that, right? We-I could have lost you..."Unshed tears welling up in Ryan's eyes.

Zoey pulled her brother into her arms hugging Ryan tightly, "I'm here. I'm not going anywhere," sounding as if she mostly believed that.

***

The next morning Rodney woke to the sound of Sheppard's voice. A hot blush stung Rodney's face when she remembered what happened last night. _Sex with John._ It happened quite a few times in fact. Rodney sat up slowly pulling the sheet around her chest. Sheppard was pacing around the room in a pair of tight black briefs and nothing else, speaking into his ear piece,

"Yes, sir. Yes, sir...no. We can... Yeah alright, thank you, sir." John ripped the ear piece from his ear, tossing it onto his desk, he then noticed Rodney, "Morning..."he said awkwardly.

"Morning," Rodney said nervously looking around the room, "I-I should shower and go..." she wrapped the sheet more tighter around herself. At least Rodney didn't have to wonder if John regretted what happed between them it was obvious.

"Wait!" John exclaimed, rushing over to the bed, he sat down next to her. He leaned over touching his forehead to hers, "wait..."he said softly.

"It doesn't have to change anything," Rodney whispered. She didn't want things to change. She just wanted more...more of Sheppard's time, his affection...just more _John._

"John pulled away, eyes wide, "This," he motioned between them, "changes everything."

"it doesn't have too."

"But it does. Do you want to forget last night happened?" John asked, upset. "Because I kind of want _this,"_ motioning to himself and Rodney for a second time, "to happen again."

"You do?" McKay asked, unsure.

"Rodney, I sung Johnny Cash's most romantic love song to you a few days ago. I...I bared my, my," John stuttered out as he lifted a shaking hand to her cheek. Because if McKay didn't believe him? John had no idea how to convince her.

McKay covered Sheppard's hand with her own before taking a deep breath, "... _I wanna love like Johnny and June,"_ McKay sang out softly, slightly out of tune, " _rings of fire burning with you, I wanna walk the line, walk the line. Til' the end of time..."_

John stopped Rodney's song with his lips to hers. Gently pushing her back down on the bed...

~~~

_**So are we done here? I want to be done!** _

**McKay,**

_**No, Sheppard, I've done all the talking about my feelings I'm going too!** _

**McKay, you know we're not done yet.**

_**Can I at least have a new therapist?** _

**No. I won Heightmeyer in the coin toss.**

_**You cheated!** _

**It was a coin toss! How do you cheat on a coin toss?**

_**I don't know. But I'm sure you did!** _

**Rodney...**

_**What do you mean I have to come back next week! No!** _

**Don't worry, McKay will be here.**

**~~~**

BONUS

Soundtrack To: Of Family

1\. Stargate SG1Theme

2\. Walk The Line-Johnny Cash

3\. Beethoven's Fifth-Beethoven

4\. Stay-Two Steps From Hell feat. Merethe Soltvedt

5\. Johnny and June-Heidi Newfield

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There is one more story in this series. It's still being re-plotted so I have no idea when it will be up.

**Author's Note:**

> Not Betaed.  
> Will edit for spelling and grammar later.  
> My Tumblr: lln3dseethelight.tumblr.com  
> Come talk to me about Sheppard's hair!


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